'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a Two-Day Fixture Was No Less a Genuine Cricket Test.

Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble worn by the pop star. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a triumph.

Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.

The point being is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce art or even the longest format.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game

The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.

The weather, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.

If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.

This is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.

Having a thick layer on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.

Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time committed elsewhere.

Adjustment: The True Test

Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.

The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.

The format is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective

Try telling the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.

Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.

There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.

That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to both.

Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.

"This isn't the death of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."

Small Victories: Looking Ahead

In the preparation to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.

The squad delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.

Different players performed with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to develop from.

In the end, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the field to commence their own festivities.

Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.