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

In a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.

Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some hits are belting while others are poor.

The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create music or even the longest format.

The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket

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

The weather, the session, 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 canvas on which the athletes create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test

The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.

Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.

Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.

Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.

The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience devoted in other matches.

Adaptation: The Real Challenge

Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.

The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective

Try telling the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.

In a corner of the MCG, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.

There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.

Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches

The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.

That contest was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – one is not more the standard, yet value can be attached to them.

At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.

"It's not the end of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."

Small Victories: Looking Ahead

In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

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

Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to build on.

In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the turf to commence their own festivities.

Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.