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It's not often that an English cricketer is accused of complaining in Australia, yet when Joe Root was questioned about the necessity for pink-ball cricket during the Ashes, he offered a straightforward answer.

“From my perspective, it's not necessary,” Root responded prior to England's practice at the Gabba. “It’s obviously highly popular and popular in this country, and Australia boast a strong record in these matches. It's understandable why we’re playing.

“In the end, you know from two years out it will happen. It's a requirement of preparing for the series. In a contest of this magnitude, does it need it? I don’t think so … yet it doesn't imply it shouldn’t be included. I'm fine with it. I don’t think it matches traditional Test cricket. But it's on the calendar. We have to participate, and must ensure we outperform our opponents in these conditions.”

Root's Performance Under Lights Suffers

Like his counterpart, Steve Smith, Root’s typically strong stats take a hit in day-night games. The Yorkshire batsman has featured in all seven England's pink-ball matches to date, and although a century in his first such match versus the Windies in 2017, his career average above 50 drops to just over 38 under lights.

Conversely, bowler Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 and a strike rate of 49.9 in general, but those numbers shift to 17.08 and 33.3 correspondingly with the pink ball. In his last floodlit game, against West Indies, he took six for nine as the opposition were dismissed for a meager 27—career-best figures that he bettered with seven wickets for 58 in Perth.

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 the Ashes. Although Cummins and Hazlewood usually caused him issues, in their absence in the first Test, the veteran Starc who got him out for scores of zero and eight.

Root later reasoned the initial wicket was just a good ball—the kind that might not carry the slips in England. The second, when he chopped on, during England’s the team's slump, was an error on his part. “I know I’m a good player,” he stated. “I know I’m going to return to form.”

The Touring Side's Hurdles and Readiness

Starc now uses the wobble seam as his main tactic nowadays—he noted he should have listened to Hazlewood and Cummins advice sooner—and in humid Brisbane, swing could be available. England, down one match, face additional obstacles in this Test, and runs from their top batsman could aid them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

It might not need a century should there be quick-fire match unfolds, yet Root's absence of a century on Australian soil continues to haunt him. “I didn’t have long enough to think about it,” was his humble reply when asked if the stat bothered him in Perth.

Squad Decisions and Historic Opportunity

The England squad trained intensely on Sunday, with hip-hop providing the backdrop on a hot afternoon. The key sessions are vital for their readiness, conducted in evening conditions.

Mark Wood’s absence due to a knee issue opens up a spot in the team, with Jacks netting with the main batters hints he could be the frontrunner. The all-rounder’s off-breaks are adequate, and extra runs down the order might offset any bowling leaks.

That said, Josh 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 Test in over 40 years.

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