'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Shortened Test Deserved Its Status as a Proper Test Match.

In a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a success.

It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.

The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game

The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.

The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.

If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.

Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

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

The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time devoted in other matches.

Adjustment: The True Test

Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.

The debate in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.

Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.

Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective

Go and inform the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.

Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.

There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, momentum when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.

Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.

Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.

"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope

In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.

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

Different players delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to develop from.

Ultimately, this triumph joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.

Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.