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

Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a major hit.

Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are poor.

The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create literature or even Test cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game

The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.

The weather, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.

If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.

It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the contest.

Having a thick layer on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.

A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket

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

The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.

The close matches are particularly captivating due to the investment devoted elsewhere.

Problem Solving: The Real Challenge

Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.

The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.

This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and responding effectively. The top two individual scores were made by world-class stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Pure Elation: The Supporters' View

Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.

In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.

There was hope as the bowlers dominated, impetus when players responded, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.

Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches

The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.

That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in both.

Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.

"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."

Signs of Progress: Building for the Future

In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

The team protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.

Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.

At the very least, this MCG win joins other notable performances in meaningless games.

As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the field to start their own festivities.

Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.