'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a Shortened Match Was No Less a Genuine Test Match.

Within a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a success.

You might not enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.

The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce art or even Test cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket

The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.

The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.

If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle

The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the contest.

Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.

The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the investment devoted during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The Real Challenge

Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.

The debate in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.

Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective

Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.

Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans made noise and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.

There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when players fought back, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.

That contest was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.

Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.

"It's not the death of the format at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope

In the preparation to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.

The team responded for him, restoring the smile to his face.

Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.

At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.

As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.

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