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

Within a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.

You might not like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.

The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce literature or even the longest format.

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.

The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.

If the format is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.

This is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.

Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

But any suggestion 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, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the investment committed elsewhere.

Adaptation: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.

The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.

This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by world-class players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.

Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited

Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.

Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people made noise and chanted, generating a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.

There was belief as the attack surged, momentum when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.

Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.

That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet significance can be found in both.

Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.

"Far from being the death of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope

In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.

The players protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.

Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.

In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.

As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.

Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.