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

Within a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a triumph.

You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.

The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft art or even the longest format.

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

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

The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.

If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test

The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

This is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.

The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the time made elsewhere.

Adaptation: The True Test

Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.

The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.

This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective

Try telling the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

In a corner of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.

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

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.

That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet value can be found in both.

Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.

"This isn't the death of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."

Small Victories: Building for the Future

In the lead-in to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.

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

Different players performed with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to build on.

In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.

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

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