'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Shortened Match Remained Every Bit a Genuine Cricket Test.

Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a success.

It's possible you appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.

The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format

The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.

The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.

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

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.

Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the series.

Having excessive grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.

The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.

The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the investment made during quieter periods.

Adjustment: The Real Challenge

Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.

The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.

This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Pure Elation: The Supporters' View

Go and inform the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.

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

There was belief as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order responded, and pure joy when the result was secured.

Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches

The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.

Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.

"Far from being the death of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Signs of Progress: Building for the Future

In the build-up to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.

The squad protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.

New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.

Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.

As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.

Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.