'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a 48-Hour Match Deserved Its Status as a Proper Test Match.

Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a success.

You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.

The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.

The weather, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.

If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.

This is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.

Having a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.

The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the time devoted in other matches.

Problem Solving: The True Test

Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.

The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and responding accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective

Try telling the fans who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.

Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.

There was hope as the attack surged, impetus when batters responded, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.

That match was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be attached to both.

Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.

"It's not the death of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."

Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead

In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.

The squad protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.

Different players performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to build on.

Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.

As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.

Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.