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It's not often for an England player gets labeled as whinging in Australia, yet when the former captain faced questions regarding the need of day-night Tests in a series like the Ashes, he offered a straightforward answer.

“My personal view is no,” Root stated before England's net session in Brisbane. “Clearly highly popular and popular here in Australia, and the hosts boast a strong track record in these matches. You can understand why one match is scheduled.

“In the end, you know from two years out it will happen. It's a requirement of being ready for such contests. For a series like this, does it need it? Probably not … yet it doesn't imply it has no place. I don’t mind it. In my opinion it matches the conventional format. But it’s in the schedule. We’ve got to play it, and must ensure we outperform our opponents in these conditions.”

Joe Root's Performance Under Lights Suffers

Like his counterpart, Australia's Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar stats see a drop with the pink ball. The England star has featured in all seven of England’s floodlit Tests so far, and despite a hundred in his first outing against West Indies back in 2017, his career average of 50.9 falls to 38.5 in these games.

On the other hand, bowler Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 and a strike rate around 50 in general, but those numbers improve to 17 and 33 correspondingly with the pink ball. During his most recent pink-ball appearance, in Jamaica, he claimed six wickets for nine runs as West Indies were dismissed for 27—career-best figures that he bettered by taking seven wickets for 58 in the next Test.

Deciding Duel Between Root and Starc Could Shape Series

The matchup of Root and Starc is emerging as a potential key contests 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 zero and eight.

Root has reflected the initial wicket was just a good ball—the kind that may not reach the slips back home. The second, bowled chopping on, amid the team's slump, was a miscalculation on his part. “I am confident in my ability,” he said. “I know I’m going to return to form.”

England's Challenges and Readiness

Starc has adopted the wobble-seam as his preferred weapon these days—he admitted he wished he'd heeded to Hazlewood and Cummins suggestions earlier—and in humid Brisbane, swing could be available. England, down one match, face additional obstacles in this Test, and runs from their top batsman would help them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

This may not require a century if another rapid shootout unfolds, yet Root's absence of a ton on Australian soil continues to haunt him. “I didn’t have long enough to think about it,” he modestly answered when asked if the stat weighed on him during the first Test.

Squad Decisions and Chance for History

The England squad practiced hard over the weekend, to the sound of hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are crucial for their readiness, held under lights.

Wood being unavailable due to a knee issue opens up a spot in the team, with Jacks practicing among the batsmen suggests he might be in contention. The all-rounder’s off-spin are adequate, and additional scoring at number eight could balance any conceded runs.

However, seamer Tongue was with the reserves in Canberra and is still in the mix if England opt for pace-heavy bowling, and spinner Bashir was included last week. Plenty to consider, indeed, at a ground where the visitors haven’t won a Test in over 40 years.

“It is a chance to make history,” Root said regarding this. “It would make it even more satisfying if we win at this ground.”