'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a Two-Day Match Deserved Its Status as a Genuine Test.

In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a major hit.

Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.

The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce art or even Test cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format

The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.

The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.

If the long game is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.

This is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.

Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.

The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the patience made during quieter periods.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.

The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.

Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited

Go and inform the devotees who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.

There was belief as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be ascribed to each.

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

"This isn't the end of the long game at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."

Small Victories: Looking Ahead

In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.

Different players delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.

At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.

As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the turf to begin their own celebrations.

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