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It's not often for an England player gets labeled as complaining in Australia, but when Joe Root was questioned about the necessity for pink-ball cricket in a series like the Ashes, he offered a straightforward response.

“I personally don’t think so,” Root replied before England's net session in Brisbane. “Clearly very successful and popular here in Australia, and the hosts have an impressive record in these matches. 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 such contests. For a series like this, does it need it? Probably not … yet it doesn't imply it has no place. I'm fine with it. I don’t think it matches the conventional format. But it’s in the schedule. We have to participate, and we just need to be better our opponents at it.”

Root's Record Under Lights Declines

Like his counterpart, 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 of England’s floodlit Tests to date, and despite a hundred in his debut such match versus the Windies back in 2017, his career average of 50.9 drops to 38.5 in these games.

On the other hand, bowler Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 with a strike-rate around 50 overall, yet these figures improve to 17.08 and 33.3 respectively in day-night Tests. In his last pink-ball appearance, against West Indies, he took six wickets for nine runs as the opposition were dismissed for 27—career-best figures that were soon surpassed by taking seven for 58 in the next Test.

Deciding Duel Root vs Starc Could Shape Series

The matchup between Root and Starc is emerging as a potential deciding factors in the Ashes. Although Cummins and Hazlewood usually troubled him more, with them missing in the first Test, it was Starc who dismissed him for a duck and eight.

Root has reflected that the first dismissal was just a good ball—the kind that might not carry to slip back home. The second, when he chopped on, amid the team's slump, was a miscalculation by him. “I am confident in my ability,” he stated. “I know I’m going to score runs again.”

England's Hurdles and Preparations

Starc has adopted the wobble-seam as his main tactic nowadays—he admitted he wished he'd heeded his teammates' advice sooner—and in muggy conditions, swing may also come into play. England, trailing 1-0, face additional obstacles in this Test, and contributions by their premier batter would help in recovering from a self-inflicted hole.

This may not require a century should there be quick-fire match unfolds, but Root’s lack of a century in Australia continues to haunt him. “I didn't get time to dwell on it,” was his humble reply when asked if the stat bothered him during the first Test.

Squad Decisions and Historic Opportunity

The England squad practiced hard over the weekend, with hip-hop providing the backdrop on a hot afternoon. Monday and Wednesday are vital for their readiness, conducted in evening conditions.

Wood being unavailable with a sore knee opens up a spot in the team, and Will Jacks netting with the main batters hints he could be in contention. The all-rounder’s off-breaks are adequate, and extra runs down the order might offset any conceded runs.

That said, seamer Tongue was with the reserves elsewhere and is still in the mix if England opt for pace-heavy bowling, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was included last week. Much to think about, indeed, at a venue where England haven’t won a match for decades.

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