A clear trend has been established in this year's Ashes series and one needs to look no further than the third Test to find it.
Cardiff and Lord's provided the scene for largely one-sided matches and it was not until the two teams arrived at Edgbaston that a truly even contest was staged.
Edgbaston provided in a nutshell how the two sides' fortunes have swung. Literally.
Australia is becoming somewhat of a flat track bully. When the wicket is lifeless and the atmospheric conditions unresponsive, Australia's batsmen are cashing in their chips and swelling their accounts.
But when the clouds roll in and the ball hoops and curls, Australia cannot hang tough and play ugly.
Conversely, England's bowlers fire blanks when the conditions do not suit.
It was painfully evident in Cardiff where Andrew Strauss' attack was plundered for 674 runs and again on the final day at Edgbaston when England captured only three wickets in 84 overs.
But when the clouds and isobars align, like they did at Lord's and on day two at Edgbaston, James Anderson becomes the king of swing and Strauss' bowlers grow wings.
Both sides are aware of this, as evidenced in the propaganda disseminated from each captain's post-match press conference.
Ricky Ponting admitted his team came up short on the second day but 'any team confronted with those conditions would have found it pretty tough'.
"You saw we had the ball swinging too and it was very hard for the English batsmen," he said.
The problem for Ponting, however, is Ben Hilfenhaus has been the only Australian bowler thus far able to capitalise in such conditions.
As strange as it may sound considering Australia is behind, it could be in its favour if the conditions in the final two Tests favour bat over ball.
Australia has appeared more capable of compiling big innings than England, as the 6-1 century count indicates.
"We've got plenty of our batsmen in pretty good nick at the moment but guys would be keen to get over that three-figure mark at some stage in the next two games," said Strauss, his team's lone centurion this series.
If the current trend continues, Australia's best avenue to retaining the urn is on a road.
It will be reliant on its batsmen breaking the home side's minds, spirits and bodies, like they did in Cardiff for 181 overs, before unleashing its bowlers to prey on England's weary batsmen.
If conditions favour the bowlers, Australia's strength, its appetite for big centuries, becomes diluted while England's, its ability to swing the ball, is magnified.
As for who will own the Ashes in three weeks' time? The answer may well lie in the heavens.