In his excellent new book, On The Ashes, the Australian journalist Gideon Haigh summarises the nation's historic cricketing philosophy.
"Australian cricket doesn't have much time for elegance," he writes. "It looks unserious, brittle, even a little effete. Australians favour aggression — bustling, bristling, business-like. They like to think of themselves as all about effect and output; it's not how but how many."
This England have, of course, made their business not merely how and how many, but how quickly as well, their brand, with bat in hand at least, a sort of bastardised Olympianism: faster (scoring), higher (chases), longer (hits).
It is a contrast that has had these Ashes, which start at Edgbaston on Friday, set up as a shuddering clash of styles for some time, made all the more so by the vindication both sides have already acquired in their methods.
For England, 11 wins in 13 Tests have transformed an ailing culture. For Australia, yesterday's World Test Championship Final triumph over India represented the climax of something more sustained. It is Test cricket's now formally-crowned conquerors against its self-proclaimed saviours, and if it was already clear that the latter are unshakeably wed to their one way of playing, then The Oval this weekend reaffirmed that Pat Cummins's men will not be lured from theirs, either.
Ashes schedule
First Test, Edgbaston, June 16-20
Second Test, Lord’s, June 28-July 2
Third Test, Headingley, July 6-10
Fourth Test, Old Trafford, July 19-23
Fifth Test, The Oval, July 27-31
The fourth morning delivered the strongest case in point, Australia resuming with a lead of 296 and six wickets still in hand. Were Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes to bat for 90 minutes in the same scenario, England would no doubt have put the game to bed, accelerating towards a declaration and, with a bit of luck, 18 holes on day five.
The Australian equivalents, Alex Carey and Cameron Green, however, played with what, after a year of high-octane England, felt like strange conservatism until the latter's even stranger dismissal, adding only 44 runs. The ends, though, justified the means, Cummins batting on into the afternoon to leave a daunting world-record target on the board, before India were eventually skittled with two sessions of yesterday's fifth day to spare.
So, what did we learn? Chiefly, that Scott Boland must play at Edgbaston, despite his only previous experience here coming for a touring Aboriginal XI five years ago; that Steve Smith's unremarkable Sussex stint will likely bear no relevance to his returns this summer; that Travis Head is a different batter to the one that averaged 27 at a strike-rate below 50 in the 2019 Ashes, having belted 163 off 174 deliveries here; that Green does, as billed, have huge hands; and, above all, that this outstanding Australian side constitute the Bazball era's toughest test.
But there were passages, too, that will have piqued England's interest, chinks in the armour that, to some relief, emerged between the bookends of an opening two days and concluding fifth.
Erroneous reviews, non-reviews and wickets from no-balls were the hallmarks of a team that, in moments of building pressure and partnerships, remain susceptible to a rattling, Cummins's hesitancy in declaring suggesting the scars of Headingley 2019 and the Gabba 2021 remain.
Both openers did little to dispel existing concerns, David Warner following his first-innings 43 with one in the second and, more worryingly, Usman Khawaja making nought and 13. Warner has been under pressure for some time, but Khawaja has had an outstanding couple of years, inspiring hope that, like Head, his historic struggles in England were those of a forgotten player. Here, at first time of asking, was evidence to the contrary.
Mitchell Starc, until blowing away half of the Indian tail on Sunday, was loose, so much so that England may miss out on the chance to cash in this week, the quick surely the man to make way in Birmingham, with Josh Hazlewood back fit. Starc, though, will be needed in rotation across the course of five Tests in six-and-a-half weeks: 33 overs for Cummins and 36 for Boland means both head to Edgbaston just four days from now with significant work in the legs before the Ashes have even begun.
This was, at times, a bruising encounter, at odds with England's gentle stroll past Ireland a week earlier in their sole warm-up match.
Poles apart in many senses they may be, but the old rivals still look pleasingly well matched.
