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Rarely that an English cricketer is accused of whinging in Australia, but when Joe Root faced questions regarding the need for pink-ball cricket in a series like the Ashes, he gave an honest answer.

“My personal view is no,” Root stated before England's practice at the Gabba. “Clearly highly popular and popular here in Australia, and the hosts boast a strong track record with the pink ball. It's understandable why we’re playing.

“In the end, we are aware from two years out that it’s scheduled. It's a requirement of preparing for the series. For a series like this, is it essential? Probably not … but that doesn’t mean it has no place. I don’t mind it. I don’t think it’s as good as the conventional format. But it’s in the schedule. We’ve got to play it, and we just need we outperform our opponents at it.”

Joe Root's Record in Day-Night Tests Takes a Dip

Like his counterpart, Australia's Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers take a hit with the pink ball. The Yorkshire batsman has featured in each of the seven of England’s pink-ball matches to date, and although a hundred in his debut such match versus the Windies in 2017, his career average of 50.9 falls to 38.5 in these games.

Conversely, paceman Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 and a strike rate of 49.9 in general, but those numbers shift to 17 and 33 correspondingly in day-night Tests. During his most recent pink-ball appearance, in Jamaica, he claimed six for nine as the opposition were bowled out for a meager 27—career-best figures that he bettered with seven for 58 in the next Test.

Key Battle Root vs Starc May Determine Outcome

The matchup of Root and Starc is emerging as one of the key contests in this series. Although Cummins and Hazlewood have traditionally caused him issues, in their absence in the first Test, it was Starc who got him out for zero and eight.

Root later reasoned that the first dismissal was just a good ball—the kind that may not reach the slips in England. The second, when he chopped on, amid the team's slump, was an error on his part. “I know I’m a good player,” he stated. “I believe I will return to form.”

The Touring Side's Hurdles and Preparations

Starc has adopted the wobble-seam as his main tactic nowadays—he admitted he should have listened to Hazlewood and Cummins advice sooner—and in humid Brisbane, swing may also come into play. England, trailing 1-0, have more to overcome in this Test, and runs from their premier batter would help them recover from their own mistakes.

This may not require a hundred should there be quick-fire match occurs, yet Root's absence of a century in Australia remains a talking point. “I didn’t have long enough to dwell on it,” was his humble reply on being questioned whether that record weighed on him in Perth.

Team Selection and Historic Opportunity

The England squad trained intensely on Sunday, with hip-hop providing the backdrop on a hot afternoon. The key sessions are vital for their readiness, held under lights.

Wood being unavailable with a sore knee opens up a spot in the lineup, with Jacks practicing among the batsmen hints he could be in contention. His off-breaks are decent, and additional scoring down the order might offset any conceded runs.

That said, seamer Tongue has been with the Lions in Canberra and is still in the mix should England choose an all-pace attack, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was in the squad previously. Plenty to consider, indeed, at a ground where the visitors haven’t won a Test for decades.

“It is a chance to create history,” Root commented regarding this. “It would be all the sweeter if we succeed here.”