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Rarely for an England player gets labeled as complaining down under, but when the former captain was questioned regarding the need of day-night Tests during the Ashes, he offered a straightforward response.

“I personally don’t think so,” Root replied before England's practice at the Gabba. “Clearly very successful and popular here in Australia, and Australia have an impressive track record with the pink ball. You can understand why one match is scheduled.

“In the end, you know well in advance that it’s scheduled. It's a requirement of preparing for such contests. For a series like this, is it essential? Probably not … yet it doesn't imply it has no place. I'm fine with it. In my opinion it’s as good as traditional Test cricket. But it's on the calendar. We have to participate, and must ensure we outperform than Australia at it.”

Joe Root's Performance in Day-Night Tests 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 each of the seven England's floodlit Tests so far, and despite a hundred in his debut such match against West Indies in 2017, his overall average above 50 drops to just over 38 under lights.

Conversely, bowler Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 and a strike rate of 49.9 in general, yet these figures shift to 17.08 and 33.3 correspondingly with the pink ball. In his last pink-ball appearance, in Jamaica, he claimed six for nine as the opposition were bowled out for 27—his best performance that were soon surpassed with seven for 58 in Perth.

Deciding Duel Between Root and Starc Could Shape Series

The head-to-head between Root and Starc is emerging as a potential key contests in the Ashes. While Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have traditionally troubled him more, in their absence last week, the veteran Starc who got him out for a duck and eight.

Root later reasoned the initial wicket came from a fine delivery—the kind that may not reach 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.”

The Touring Side's Challenges and Readiness

Starc now uses the wobble seam as his preferred weapon nowadays—he admitted he wished he'd heeded to Hazlewood and Cummins suggestions earlier—and in humid Brisbane, swing may also be available. England, down one match, have more to overcome this week, and contributions by their premier batter would help in recovering from their own mistakes.

This may not require a hundred should there be rapid shootout unfolds, but Root’s lack of a century in Australia remains a talking point. “I didn't get time to dwell on it,” was his humble reply on being questioned if the stat bothered him in Perth.

Team Selection and Historic Opportunity

Root and his teammates trained intensely on Sunday, to the sound of hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are crucial for their readiness, conducted in evening conditions.

Mark Wood’s absence due to a knee issue opens up a spot in the lineup, with Jacks netting with the main batters suggests he might be the frontrunner. The all-rounder’s off-breaks are adequate, and extra runs at number eight might offset any conceded runs.

That said, Josh Tongue has been with the Lions elsewhere and is still in the mix should England choose an all-pace attack, and spinner Bashir was in the squad previously. Plenty to consider, then, at a venue where England haven’t won a Test in over 40 years.

“It is a chance to make history,” Root said on this fact. “It would make it even more satisfying if we succeed here.”