'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Two-Day Test Remained Every Bit a Authentic Test.

Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a triumph.

Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are belting while others are terrible.

The point being is that amusement 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

Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.

The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.

If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.

Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed in other matches.

Adjustment: The True Test

Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.

The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.

The format is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.

Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited

Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.

In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, generating a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.

There was belief as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.

That contest was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to each.

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

"This isn't the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."

Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead

In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.

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

Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to develop from.

In the end, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.

As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the field to start their own celebrations.

Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.