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Rarely for an England player gets labeled as whinging down under, but when Joe Root faced questions regarding the need for pink-ball cricket in a series like the Ashes, he offered a straightforward response.

“My personal view is no,” Root stated before England's practice at the Gabba. “Clearly very successful and popular in this country, and Australia have an impressive track record in these matches. It's understandable why one match is scheduled.

“Ultimately, you know well in advance that it’s scheduled. It's a requirement of preparing for the series. In a contest of this magnitude, is it essential? I don’t think so … but that doesn’t mean it has no place. I'm fine with it. In my opinion it’s as good as the conventional format. But it’s in the schedule. We have to participate, and we just need we outperform than Australia at it.”

Root's Performance in Day-Night Tests Declines

Similar to his opposite number, Australia's Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers see a drop with the pink ball. The Yorkshire batsman has featured in all seven of England’s floodlit Tests to date, and although a century in his first outing versus the Windies in 2017, his career average of 50.9 falls to 38.5 in these games.

On the other hand, paceman Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 and a strike rate around 50 overall, yet these figures shift to 17 and 33 correspondingly with the pink ball. During his most recent floodlit game, in Jamaica, he claimed six wickets for nine runs as the opposition were bowled out for 27—career-best figures that he bettered by taking seven wickets for 58 in the next Test.

Deciding Duel Between Root and Starc May Determine Outcome

The head-to-head between Root and Starc is emerging as one of the key contests in this series. Although Cummins and Hazlewood usually troubled him more, with them missing in the first Test, the veteran Starc who got him out for scores of a duck and eight.

Root has reflected the initial wicket came from a fine delivery—the kind that might not carry to slip back home. The second, when he chopped on, during England’s the team's slump, was a miscalculation on his part. “I am confident in my ability,” he said. “I know I’m going to score runs again.”

The Touring Side's Challenges and Readiness

Starc has adopted the wobble-seam as his preferred weapon 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 this week, and contributions by their premier batter could aid them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

This may not require a century if another quick-fire match unfolds, yet Root's absence of a ton on Australian soil continues to haunt him. “I didn’t have long enough to dwell on it,” was his humble reply on being questioned if the stat weighed on him during the first Test.

Team Selection and Chance for History

The England squad practiced hard over the weekend, to the sound of hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. The key sessions are crucial for their readiness, conducted in evening conditions.

Wood being unavailable due to a knee issue opens up a spot in the lineup, with Jacks practicing among the batsmen hints he could be in contention. His off-breaks are adequate, and extra runs down the order could balance any conceded runs.

That said, seamer Tongue has been with the Lions in Canberra and is still in the mix if England opt for an all-pace attack, and spinner Bashir was in the squad previously. Much to think about, indeed, at a ground where the visitors have not won a match in over 40 years.

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