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Rarely that an English cricketer gets labeled as whinging down under, yet when Joe Root was questioned about the necessity for pink-ball cricket in a series like the Ashes, he gave an honest answer.

“My personal view is no,” Root replied prior to England's practice at the Gabba. “Clearly very successful and popular here in Australia, and the hosts boast a strong record in these matches. It's understandable why one match is scheduled.

“In the end, you know from two years out that it’s scheduled. It’s part of preparing for the series. For a series like this, is it essential? Probably not … yet it doesn't imply it has no place. I don’t mind it. In my opinion it’s as good as traditional Test cricket. But it’s in the schedule. We have to participate, and we just need we outperform our opponents at it.”

Root's Performance in Day-Night Tests Takes a Dip

Like his counterpart, Steve Smith, Root’s typically strong numbers see a drop in day-night games. The Yorkshire batsman has featured in each of the seven England's floodlit Tests to date, and although a hundred in his first outing versus the Windies back in 2017, his overall average above 50 falls to 38.5 under lights.

Conversely, paceman Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 with a strike-rate of 49.9 overall, but those numbers improve to 17 and 33 respectively with the pink ball. In his last pink-ball appearance, in Jamaica, he took six for nine as the opposition were dismissed for 27—career-best figures that he bettered by taking seven wickets for 58 in the next Test.

Deciding Duel Between Root and Starc Could Shape Series

The matchup of Root and Starc is emerging as one of the key contests in the Ashes. Although Cummins and Hazlewood usually troubled him more, in their absence in the first Test, it was Starc who got him out for zero and eight.

Root later reasoned the initial wicket came from a fine delivery—the type that may not reach the slips in England. The second, bowled chopping on, during England’s the team's slump, was a miscalculation on his part. “I am confident in my ability,” he stated. “I believe I will return to form.”

The Touring Side's Hurdles and Readiness

Starc now uses the wobble seam as his main tactic these days—he admitted he should have listened his teammates' suggestions earlier—and in humid Brisbane, swing could be available. England, down one match, face additional obstacles in this Test, and runs from their premier batter would help them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

It might not need a century if another rapid shootout occurs, but Root’s lack of a century in Australia remains a talking point. “I didn't get time to think about it,” was his humble reply when asked whether that record weighed on him during the first Test.

Squad Decisions and Chance for History

The England squad trained intensely on Sunday, to the sound of hip-hop providing the backdrop in the heat. The key sessions are vital for England’s preparations, conducted in evening conditions.

Mark Wood’s absence with a sore knee opens up a spot in the team, with Jacks practicing among the batsmen hints he could be the frontrunner. His off-spin are adequate, and extra runs at number eight could balance any bowling leaks.

That said, Josh Tongue was with the reserves in Canberra and remains an option should England choose pace-heavy bowling, and spinner Bashir was included previously. Plenty to consider, then, at a venue where the visitors haven’t won a Test in over 40 years.

“It is a chance to create history,” Root commented on this fact. “It would be even more satisfying if we win at this ground.”