'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Shortened Match Was No Less a Proper Cricket Test.

In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a triumph.

Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.

The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft music or even the longest format.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.

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

If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.

Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.

Allowing a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.

The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.

The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the patience committed during quieter periods.

Problem Solving: The True Test

Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.

The debate in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.

The format is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.

In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.

There was belief as the fielding side excelled, advantage when batters fought back, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet value can be ascribed to each.

At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.

"It's not the end of the format at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: Looking Ahead

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

The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his face.

Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.

Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.

As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the field to start their own enjoyment.

Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.