'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Two-Day Match Deserved Its Status as a Proper Test.

In a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.

It's possible you enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.

The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create art or even Test cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game

The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.

The weather, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.

If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.

This is not a justification of the surface which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the series.

Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.

The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.

The close matches are even more exciting owing to the investment committed during quieter periods.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.

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

This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective

Go and inform the fans who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.

In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.

There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be found in each.

At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.

"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.

The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.

Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but something to build on.

Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.

As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the field to commence their own enjoyment.

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