'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a 48-Hour Test Remained Every Bit a Genuine Cricket Test.

Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit performed in by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.

It's possible you appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are awful.

The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format

Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.

The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.

If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.

This is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.

Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The close matches are even more exciting because of the patience made in other matches.

Adjustment: The True Test

Some factors are embraced more freely than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.

The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adapting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective

Go and inform the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.

In one section of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.

There was belief as the attack dominated, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.

Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.

That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more ideal, yet value can be ascribed to each.

At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.

"This isn't the death of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: Building for the Future

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

The players protected him, bringing back the smile to his persona.

Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.

At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.

As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.

Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.