The white picket fence and the silvery light towers, the history and halo, the Great Southern Stand sprawling like a curled whale and the vast, green outfield stolen from a Paul Gaugin canvas. The Melbourne Cricket Ground — the MCG, or simply the ‘G’— both daunts and marvels like few other cricketing arenas in the world. Even before one finishes uttering the abbreviation, the images gush, the mind composes a quick reel of iconic moments from memory. However, the same rings true for all stadiums in Australia. Every major cricketing venue in the country has a soul of its own, a distinguishable colour and character that captures the consciousness of the bleary-eyed television audience watching half a world away. Australia was once a collection of six states, all with their own virtues and flaws. The stadiums are an inevitable reflection of it, offering a window into a city’s sensibilities. It could be true for every stadium in the world, but those in Australia breathe a stronger identity and character, an essence that remains intact despite …