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

Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a neon pink outfit worn by the pop star. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a triumph.

Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.

The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even the longest format.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format

The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.

The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.

If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.

It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.

Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.

The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the time made during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The True Test

Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.

The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.

Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective

Go and inform the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.

Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.

There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.

Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.

That match was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – both are not the standard, yet significance can be found in them.

Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.

"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."

Baby Steps: Looking Ahead

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

The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.

New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.

Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.

As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to begin their own festivities.

Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.