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Rarely that an English cricketer gets labeled as complaining down under, yet when Joe Root was questioned regarding the need for pink-ball cricket during the Ashes, he offered an honest answer.

“My personal view is no,” Root replied before England's net session in Brisbane. “Clearly very successful and popular in this country, and the hosts boast a strong track record in these matches. You can understand why we’re playing.

“In the end, you know well in advance it will happen. It’s part of being ready for such contests. For a series like this, does it need it? I don’t think so … but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be included. I'm fine with it. I don’t think it matches traditional Test cricket. But it's on the calendar. We have to participate, and we just need to be better our opponents in these conditions.”

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

Like his counterpart, Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers see a drop in day-night games. The Yorkshire batsman has played all seven England's floodlit Tests to date, and although a hundred in his debut such match against West Indies back in 2017, his career average of 50.9 drops to just over 38 under lights.

Conversely, paceman Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 and a strike rate of 49.9 in general, but those numbers shift to 17.08 and 33.3 correspondingly with the pink ball. During his most recent pink-ball appearance, in Jamaica, he took six wickets for nine runs as the opposition were bowled out for 27—career-best figures that were soon surpassed by taking seven wickets for 58 in Perth.

Key Battle Root vs Starc Could Shape Series

The matchup between Root and Starc is emerging as a potential key contests in this series. Although Cummins and Hazlewood usually troubled him more, with them missing last week, the veteran Starc who dismissed him for a duck and eight.

Root later reasoned the initial wicket was just a good ball—the type that might not carry to slip back home. The second, when he chopped on, amid the team's slump, was an error by him. “I know I’m a good player,” he said. “I believe I will return to form.”

England's Challenges and Preparations

Starc now uses the wobble-seam as his main tactic these days—he noted he wished he'd heeded his teammates' suggestions earlier—and in humid Brisbane, swing may also come into play. England, down one match, have more to overcome in this Test, and runs from their top batsman could aid in recovering from their own mistakes.

It might not need a hundred should there be quick-fire match occurs, yet Root's absence of a century on Australian soil continues to haunt him. “I didn't get time to think about it,” he modestly answered when asked if the stat bothered him in Perth.

Team Selection and Chance for History

Root and his teammates trained intensely over the weekend, with hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are crucial for their readiness, conducted in evening conditions.

Mark Wood’s absence due to a knee issue opens up a spot in the team, with Jacks netting with the main batters suggests he might be the frontrunner. The all-rounder’s off-spin are adequate, and additional scoring down the order could balance any bowling leaks.

However, seamer Tongue was with the reserves elsewhere and is still in the mix should England choose an all-pace attack, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was included last week. Much to think about, then, at a venue where the visitors have not won a Test for decades.

“It's an opportunity to create history,” Root said regarding this. “It would make it even more satisfying if we win here.”