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

Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a triumph.

Perhaps you don't like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.

The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.

The weather, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.

If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle

The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Having a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.

A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.

Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the investment committed elsewhere.

Problem Solving: The Real Challenge

Some factors are embraced more freely than others.

The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adapting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: The Supporters' View

Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.

There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.

Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.

At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.

"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

In the preparation to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.

The players delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.

Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.

In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.

As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the field to commence their own celebrations.

Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.