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Rarely that an English cricketer is accused of complaining down under, yet when Joe Root was questioned about the necessity for pink-ball cricket in a series like the Ashes, he offered a straightforward response.

“My personal view is no,” Root replied before England's practice in Brisbane. “It’s obviously very successful and popular in this country, and Australia have an impressive record in these matches. It's understandable why we’re playing.

“In the end, you know from two years out it will happen. It’s part of being ready 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 don’t mind it. In my opinion it matches traditional Test cricket. But it’s in the schedule. We’ve got to play it, and must ensure to be better than Australia at it.”

Root's Performance Under Lights Suffers

Similar to his opposite number, Australia's Steve Smith, Root’s typically strong stats see a drop with the pink ball. The England star has played all seven of England’s pink-ball matches to date, and despite a century in his first such match versus the Windies back in 2017, his overall average of 50.9 drops to just over 38 in these games.

Conversely, paceman Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 and a strike rate around 50 in general, but those numbers improve to 17 and 33 correspondingly with the pink ball. In his last floodlit game, against West Indies, he took six for nine as West Indies were dismissed for 27—career-best figures that were soon surpassed by taking seven for 58 in the next Test.

Key Battle Root vs Starc May Determine Outcome

The matchup between Root and Starc is emerging as a potential deciding factors in this series. Although Cummins and Hazlewood have traditionally troubled him more, with them missing last week, it was Starc who got him out for a duck and eight.

Root later reasoned the initial wicket came from a fine delivery—the type that may not reach to slip in England. The second, when he chopped on, during England’s second-day collapse, was an error by him. “I am confident in my ability,” he said. “I know I’m going to score runs again.”

England's Challenges and Preparations

Starc has adopted the wobble-seam as his main tactic these days—he noted he wished he'd heeded to Hazlewood and Cummins suggestions earlier—and in muggy conditions, swing could be available. England, trailing 1-0, face additional obstacles in this Test, and contributions by their top batsman could aid them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

This may not require a hundred if another quick-fire match unfolds, but Root’s lack of a century on Australian soil remains a talking point. “I didn’t have long enough to dwell on it,” was his humble reply when asked whether that record weighed on him during the first Test.

Team Selection and Chance for History

The England squad trained intensely over the weekend, with hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. The key sessions 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 practicing among the batsmen hints he could be the frontrunner. The all-rounder’s off-breaks are adequate, and extra runs down the order could balance any bowling leaks.

That said, Josh Tongue has been with the Lions elsewhere and is still in the mix should England choose pace-heavy bowling, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was in the squad previously. Much to think about, then, at a venue where England haven’t won a Test in over 40 years.

“It's an opportunity to make history,” Root said on this fact. “It would be all the sweeter if we succeed at this ground.”