Rewriting cricket's basic codes - that's Waugh's Australians

Tradition may have been a big deal for the Fiddler on the Roof but for Steve Waugh and his Australian side it doesn't mean much. Many of the game's old habits have gone by the wayside in their relentless pursuit of excellence.

Nightwatchman. Gone. Although Andy Bichel came out to bat against England in Sydney recently with 18 overs left in the day.

Six batsmen, one wicket-keeper and four bowlers. Gone. The key is Adam Gilchrist who allows the side the luxury of picking him as a batsman. This allows the team a fifth bowler. The psychology of it should suit the Australians fine. If their six batsmen don't score enough runs, the quintet of bowlers will look after it.

If the bowlers allow the opposition batsmen off the leash, the Australian batsmen will make up for it. If that doesn't work, Steve Waugh will throw the ball to someone unlikely such as Darren Lehmann or Ricky Ponting and they will take a wicket. In the case of an Australian collapse, the Australian tail will invariably wag.

But the biggest change the Australian side has brought to the game is the pace of play. With them, Test matches are frenetic and so much seems to happen in a short period of time. One is convinced that it must be the fourth day and it turns out it's only the third.

Notwithstanding poor weather, it's now a rarity that the Australian side plays on the fifth day. In days gone by, around three days were needed for both sides to have their first innings. From there it was up to the side batting third whether or not there was going to be a result.

For the most part, unless there were collapses, at least some part of the fifth was needed. More often than not, the fifth day would meander into a dull and meaningless draw.

Not with Steve Waugh and his team. In the 46 Tests he has captained, only 16 have gone into the fifth day on their own accord (as opposed to the presence of inclement weather). That is a staggering statistic.

It also places incredible heat on the opposition side to be able to last the distance. The option to hold out for a draw due to lack of time is removed from them. There are now only two possible results - victory or defeat.

Steve Waugh has captained Australia to only five draws and all of them were due to the Test being affected by rain.

This is the way cricket should be played. Positive and entertaining for the spectators and most of all the players. What is the point of playing for five days for no result? Now Waugh and his side are illustrating the folly of it because there is no reason whatsoever why five days should be insufficient time.

No matter what the sport, whether it's the Dutch soccer side of the 1970s and their total football, Australia II and their winged keel, the Chicago Bulls of the early 1990s and their triangle offense or the current Australian cricket side, the hallmark of a great team is one which first revolutionises and then evolutionises the way it's sport is played and leaves it the better for it.