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It's not often that an English cricketer is accused of complaining in Australia, yet when Joe Root was questioned regarding the need for pink-ball cricket during the Ashes, he offered a straightforward answer.

“I personally don’t think so,” Root replied before England's practice in Brisbane. “It’s obviously very successful and well-received in this country, and the hosts have an impressive record in these matches. You can understand why one match is scheduled.

“In the end, we are aware from two years out that it’s scheduled. It's a requirement of preparing for the series. For a series like this, is it essential? 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 we outperform our opponents in these conditions.”

Joe Root's Record Under Lights Suffers

Like his counterpart, Steve Smith, Root’s typically strong numbers take a hit with the pink ball. The Yorkshire batsman has played each of the seven England's pink-ball matches so far, and despite a century in his first such match against West Indies back in 2017, his career average above 50 falls to just over 38 under lights.

Conversely, paceman Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 and a strike rate around 50 overall, yet these figures improve to 17 and 33 respectively with the pink ball. In his last pink-ball appearance, against West Indies, he took six wickets for nine runs as West Indies were dismissed for 27—career-best figures that were soon surpassed with seven wickets for 58 in Perth.

Key Battle Root vs Starc Could Shape Series

The matchup of Root and Starc is emerging as one of the key contests in this series. While Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have traditionally caused him issues, with them missing in the first Test, it was Starc who dismissed him for zero and eight.

Root later reasoned that the first dismissal was just a good ball—the type that might not carry the slips in England. The second, bowled chopping on, during England’s second-day collapse, was a miscalculation by him. “I know I’m a good player,” he stated. “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 to Hazlewood and Cummins suggestions earlier—and in muggy conditions, swing could be available. England, trailing 1-0, have more to overcome in this Test, and contributions by their premier batter would help them recover from their own mistakes.

It might not need a century if another quick-fire match occurs, yet Root's absence of a ton in Australia continues to haunt him. “I didn't get time to think about it,” he modestly answered when asked whether that record bothered him during the first Test.

Team Selection and Historic Opportunity

The England squad practiced hard on Sunday, with hip-hop setting the tone on a hot afternoon. The key sessions are crucial for England’s preparations, held under lights.

Wood being unavailable with a sore knee opens up a spot in the team, with Jacks netting with the main batters hints he could be the frontrunner. His off-breaks are adequate, and additional scoring down the order could balance any conceded runs.

That said, seamer Tongue has been with the Lions elsewhere and is still in the mix if England opt for an all-pace attack, and spinner Bashir was included previously. Plenty to consider, then, at a ground where England have not won a Test for decades.

“It is a chance to make history,” Root commented on this fact. “It would be all the sweeter if we succeed at this ground.”