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It's not often that an English cricketer is accused of complaining down under, but when the former captain faced questions regarding the need for pink-ball cricket during the Ashes, he offered a straightforward answer.

“I personally don’t think so,” Root responded before England's practice in Brisbane. “Clearly very successful and well-received in this country, and the hosts boast a strong track record with the pink ball. It's understandable why we’re playing.

“In the end, you know from two years out that it’s scheduled. It’s part of preparing for the series. In a contest of this magnitude, does it need it? Probably not … but that doesn’t mean it has no place. I'm fine with it. In my opinion it’s as good as traditional Test cricket. But it’s in the schedule. We have to participate, and we just need to be better than Australia in these conditions.”

Joe Root's Performance in Day-Night Tests Takes a Dip

Similar to his opposite number, Australia's Steve Smith, Root’s typically strong stats take a hit with the pink ball. The England star has played all seven England's pink-ball matches to date, and despite a century in his first such match against West Indies back in 2017, his career average above 50 drops to 38.5 under lights.

On the other hand, paceman Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 and a strike rate of 49.9 overall, yet these figures improve to 17 and 33 correspondingly in day-night Tests. In his last floodlit game, against West Indies, he took six wickets for nine runs as the opposition were dismissed for 27—his best performance that were soon surpassed with seven for 58 in the next Test.

Deciding Duel Root vs Starc Could Shape Series

The head-to-head between Root and Starc is shaping up to be a potential deciding factors in this series. Although Cummins and Hazlewood have traditionally troubled him more, with them missing last week, the veteran Starc who dismissed him for scores of a duck and eight.

Root later reasoned that the first dismissal was just a good ball—the kind that may not reach to slip back home. His next dismissal, when he chopped 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 score runs again.”

The Touring Side's Hurdles and Readiness

Starc has adopted the wobble-seam as his main tactic these days—he noted he wished he'd heeded his teammates' advice sooner—and in humid Brisbane, swing may also be available. England, trailing 1-0, face additional obstacles in this Test, and contributions by their top batsman would help them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

It might not need a century should there be rapid shootout unfolds, but Root’s lack of a ton in Australia remains a talking point. “I didn’t have long enough to dwell on it,” he modestly answered when asked if the stat weighed on him in Perth.

Squad Decisions and Chance for History

The England squad practiced hard on Sunday, to the sound of hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are crucial for England’s preparations, held under lights.

Wood being unavailable due to a knee issue opens up a spot in the lineup, and Will Jacks netting with the main batters hints he could be the frontrunner. The all-rounder’s off-spin are adequate, and extra runs at number eight could balance any conceded runs.

However, seamer Tongue was with the reserves in Canberra and is still in the mix should England choose pace-heavy bowling, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was included previously. Plenty to consider, indeed, at a venue where the visitors haven’t won a match in over 40 years.

“It's an opportunity to make history,” Root commented regarding this. “It would make it even more satisfying if we win here.”