'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a Shortened Test Remained Every Bit a Genuine Test.

Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a triumph.

It's possible you like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are awful.

The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce music or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.

The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.

If the long game is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle

The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.

It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.

Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

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

Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.

The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the patience made elsewhere.

Adjustment: The Real Challenge

Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and responding accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.

Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective

Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.

Among the crowd of the ground, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.

There was optimism as the attack dominated, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.

Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.

That match was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to them.

Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.

"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.

The squad delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his face.

New faces performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.

At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.

Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.