'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a 48-Hour Test Remained Every Bit a Proper Cricket Test.

Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.

You might not like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.

The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft art or even the longest format.

The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket

The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.

The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.

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

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.

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

Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.

The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. 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 even more exciting due to the time made during quieter periods.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.

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

This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.

Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited

Go and inform the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.

Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.

There was belief as the bowlers dominated, advantage when batters responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.

Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.

That match was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to both.

Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.

"It's not the demise of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."

Small Victories: Looking Ahead

In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

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

Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.

At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.

As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.

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