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Rarely that an English cricketer is accused of complaining down under, but when Joe Root was questioned regarding the need of day-night Tests during the Ashes, he offered an honest answer.

“My personal view is no,” Root responded prior to England's practice in Brisbane. “It’s obviously very successful and popular here in Australia, and the hosts have an impressive track record with the pink ball. It's understandable why one match is scheduled.

“In the end, we are aware well in advance that it’s scheduled. It's a requirement of preparing for the series. For a series like this, is it essential? Probably not … yet it doesn't imply it shouldn’t be included. I don’t mind it. I don’t think it’s as good as traditional Test cricket. But it's on the calendar. We’ve got to play it, and we just need to be better than Australia at it.”

Root's Performance Under Lights Declines

Like his counterpart, Australia's Steve Smith, Root’s typically strong numbers take a hit with the pink ball. The Yorkshire batsman has featured in all seven England's floodlit Tests to date, and although a hundred in his debut outing versus the Windies back in 2017, his overall average above 50 falls to just over 38 under lights.

Conversely, paceman Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 with a strike-rate around 50 overall, yet these figures shift to 17 and 33 correspondingly in day-night Tests. During his most recent floodlit game, in Jamaica, he took six wickets for nine runs as the opposition were bowled out for a meager 27—career-best figures that he bettered by taking seven wickets for 58 in the next Test.

Key Battle Between Root and Starc Could Shape Series

The head-to-head of Root and Starc is shaping up to be one of the key contests in this series. While Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have traditionally caused him issues, with them missing last week, the veteran Starc who got him out for zero and eight.

Root later reasoned that the first dismissal came from a fine delivery—the type that may not reach the slips back home. The second, bowled chopping on, during England’s second-day collapse, was a miscalculation by him. “I am confident in my ability,” he said. “I know I’m going to return to form.”

England's Challenges and Preparations

Starc has adopted the wobble seam as his preferred weapon nowadays—he noted he should have listened to Hazlewood and Cummins suggestions earlier—and in muggy conditions, swing could come into play. England, down one match, face additional obstacles this week, and contributions by their top batsman could aid them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

This may not require a hundred should there be rapid shootout unfolds, yet Root's absence of a century in Australia remains a talking point. “I didn't get time to dwell on it,” he modestly answered on being questioned if the stat weighed on him during the first Test.

Squad Decisions and Chance for History

The England squad trained intensely over the weekend, to the sound of hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are crucial for their readiness, conducted in evening conditions.

Wood being unavailable with a sore knee has created an opening in the team, and Will Jacks netting with the main batters suggests he might be the frontrunner. The all-rounder’s off-breaks are decent, and extra runs at number eight might offset any bowling leaks.

However, Josh 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 last week. Much to think about, then, at a ground where the visitors have not won a Test in over 40 years.

“It's an opportunity to create history,” Root commented on this fact. “It would be all the sweeter if we win here.”