'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Shortened Fixture Was No Less a Authentic Test.

Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.

You might not enjoy the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.

The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket

Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.

The weather, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.

If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.

Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.

Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.

The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.

The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the time devoted in other matches.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.

The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.

This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.

In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.

There was hope as the attack surged, momentum when the top order responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.

Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The MCG has form with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.

Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.

"It's not the demise of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Signs of Progress: Building for the Future

In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.

The players delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.

Different players delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.

Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.

As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own festivities.

Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.