'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a Shortened Match Remained Every Bit a Proper Cricket Test.

Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a triumph.

Perhaps you don't like the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are awful.

The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format

The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.

The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.

If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.

Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.

Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.

The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.

The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience committed during quieter periods.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.

The format is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective

Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.

Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.

There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.

Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.

Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.

"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope

In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.

The players protected him, restoring the smile to his face.

New faces delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.

At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.

As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.

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