'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a Shortened Fixture Remained Every Bit a Genuine Test.

In a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a success.

Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.

The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce music or even Test cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket

Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.

The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.

If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.

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

A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.

The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the investment made during quieter periods.

Adjustment: The True Test

Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.

The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.

This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.

Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited

Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.

In a corner of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.

There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, momentum when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.

Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches

The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.

That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet significance can be found in them.

Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.

"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope

In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.

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

New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.

Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.

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

Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.