'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a 48-Hour Test Deserved Its Status as a Authentic Test.

In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a triumph.

It's possible you appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.

The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.

The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.

If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.

A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.

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

Having a thick layer on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.

A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.

The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.

The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the patience committed during quieter periods.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Some factors are accepted more readily than others.

The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.

The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective

Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.

In one section of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.

There was optimism as the attack surged, impetus when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.

Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.

That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to each.

Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.

"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: Building for the Future

In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.

Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.

In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.

As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the field to start their own enjoyment.

Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.