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Rarely that an English cricketer is accused of complaining down under, yet when the former captain was questioned regarding the need for pink-ball cricket in a series like the Ashes, he gave a straightforward answer.

“I personally don’t think so,” Root responded before England's net session at the Gabba. “Clearly highly popular and well-received here in Australia, and the hosts boast a strong record with the pink ball. You can understand why we’re playing.

“Ultimately, we are aware from two years out that it’s scheduled. It’s part of preparing for the series. In a contest of this magnitude, does it need it? I don’t think so … yet it doesn't imply it has no place. I'm fine with it. In my opinion it’s as good as traditional Test cricket. But it's on the calendar. We’ve got to play it, and we just need we outperform than Australia at it.”

Joe Root's Record Under Lights Takes a Dip

Similar to his opposite number, Australia's Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers take a hit in day-night games. The England star has played each of the seven England's pink-ball matches to date, and despite a hundred in his first such match against West Indies back in 2017, his career average above 50 drops to just over 38 in these games.

On the other hand, bowler Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 with a strike-rate around 50 overall, but those numbers improve to 17.08 and 33.3 respectively in day-night Tests. During his most recent floodlit game, against West Indies, he claimed six wickets for nine runs as West Indies were dismissed for 27—his best performance that he bettered by taking seven wickets for 58 in the next Test.

Deciding Duel Root vs Starc Could Shape Series

The matchup between Root and Starc is shaping up to be a potential deciding factors in the Ashes. Although Cummins and Hazlewood usually caused him issues, in their absence last week, it was Starc who got him out for scores of zero and eight.

Root later reasoned that the first dismissal was just a good ball—the kind that may not reach to slip in England. The second, when he chopped on, amid second-day collapse, was a miscalculation on his part. “I am confident in my ability,” he said. “I believe I will score runs again.”

England's Challenges and Readiness

Starc has adopted the wobble seam as his preferred weapon nowadays—he admitted he should have listened his teammates' suggestions earlier—and in humid Brisbane, swing could be available. 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 if another quick-fire match unfolds, yet Root's absence of a century in Australia continues to haunt him. “I didn’t have long enough to dwell on it,” was his humble reply when asked if the stat bothered him during the first Test.

Team Selection and Chance for History

The England squad trained intensely on Sunday, to the sound of hip-hop setting the tone on a hot afternoon. The key sessions are vital for their readiness, held under lights.

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 in contention. The all-rounder’s off-spin are decent, and extra runs at number eight could balance any conceded runs.

However, 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 included previously. Plenty to consider, then, at a venue where England have not won a match for decades.

“It is a chance to make history,” Root commented regarding this. “It would make it even more satisfying if we succeed at this ground.”