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It's not often that an English cricketer gets labeled as whinging in Australia, but when the former captain was questioned regarding the need for pink-ball cricket in a series like the Ashes, he offered a straightforward answer.

“I personally don’t think so,” Root stated prior to England's practice in Brisbane. “It’s obviously very successful and popular in this country, and Australia have an impressive track record with the pink ball. You can understand why we’re playing.

“Ultimately, we are aware from two years out that it’s scheduled. It's a requirement of being ready for the series. In a contest of this magnitude, is it essential? I don’t think so … yet it doesn't imply it has no place. I'm fine with it. I don’t think it matches the conventional format. But it’s in the schedule. We’ve got to play it, and must ensure to be better our opponents in these conditions.”

Joe Root's Performance in Day-Night Tests Suffers

Like his counterpart, Steve Smith, Root’s typically strong stats see a drop in day-night games. The England star has played all seven England's floodlit Tests to date, and despite a hundred in his debut outing against West Indies back in 2017, his overall average of 50.9 drops to just over 38 under lights.

On the other hand, bowler Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 with a strike-rate around 50 in general, but those numbers improve to 17.08 and 33.3 respectively in day-night Tests. During his most recent pink-ball appearance, against West Indies, he took six for nine as West Indies were bowled out for a meager 27—career-best figures that he bettered with seven for 58 in the next Test.

Key Battle Root vs Starc Could Shape Series

The head-to-head between Root and Starc is shaping up to be a potential key contests in this series. While Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood usually caused him issues, in their absence in the first Test, the veteran Starc who dismissed him for a duck and eight.

Root later reasoned that the first dismissal was just a good ball—the kind that may not reach the slips back home. His next dismissal, bowled chopping on, amid the team's slump, was a miscalculation by him. “I know I’m a good player,” he stated. “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 admitted he wished he'd heeded his teammates' suggestions earlier—and in muggy conditions, swing may also come into play. England, down one match, face additional obstacles in this Test, and contributions by their top batsman would help in recovering from their own mistakes.

It might not need a hundred should there be quick-fire match occurs, but Root’s lack of a ton in Australia remains a talking point. “I didn't get time to think about it,” was his humble reply on being questioned whether that record weighed on him during the first Test.

Squad Decisions and Historic Opportunity

Root and his teammates trained intensely on Sunday, with hip-hop providing the backdrop in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are vital for England’s preparations, conducted in evening conditions.

Wood being unavailable with a sore knee opens up a spot in the team, and Will Jacks practicing among the batsmen suggests he might be in contention. His off-spin are adequate, and additional scoring at number eight might offset any conceded runs.

That said, Josh Tongue was with the reserves in Canberra and is still in the mix if England opt for an all-pace attack, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was included last week. Much to think about, then, at a ground where England have not won a match for decades.

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