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It's not often that an English cricketer gets labeled as complaining in Australia, yet when Joe Root was questioned regarding the need of day-night Tests during the Ashes, he gave an honest answer.

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

“In the end, we are aware from two years out it will happen. 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 shouldn’t be included. I don’t mind it. I don’t think it’s as good as the conventional format. But it's on the calendar. We have to participate, and we just need we outperform our opponents at it.”

Joe Root's Record in Day-Night Tests Suffers

Like his counterpart, Steve Smith, Root’s typically strong numbers take a hit in day-night games. The Yorkshire batsman has played each of the seven England's pink-ball matches so far, and despite a century in his debut outing versus the Windies in 2017, his overall average of 50.9 falls to 38.5 in these games.

Conversely, paceman Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 with a strike-rate around 50 in general, but those numbers improve to 17 and 33 respectively with the pink ball. During his most recent floodlit game, against West Indies, he took six wickets for nine runs as West Indies were bowled out for a meager 27—career-best figures that were soon surpassed with seven wickets for 58 in Perth.

Key Battle Root vs Starc Could Shape Series

The head-to-head between Root and Starc is emerging as a potential deciding factors 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 the initial wicket was just a good ball—the kind that might not carry to slip back home. His next dismissal, bowled chopping on, amid the team's slump, was a miscalculation on his part. “I know I’m a good player,” he stated. “I know I’m going to score runs again.”

The Touring Side's Hurdles and Preparations

Starc now uses 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 this week, and contributions by their top batsman could aid them recover from their own mistakes.

It might not need a century if another rapid shootout occurs, but Root’s lack of a century on Australian soil remains a talking point. “I didn't get time to dwell on it,” was his humble reply when asked if the stat bothered him during the first Test.

Squad Decisions and Chance for History

Root and his teammates trained intensely over the weekend, to the sound of hip-hop providing the backdrop on a hot afternoon. The key sessions are crucial for England’s preparations, conducted in evening conditions.

Wood being unavailable due to a knee issue opens up a spot in the lineup, and Will Jacks netting with the main batters suggests he might be in contention. His off-breaks are decent, and extra runs at number eight could balance any bowling leaks.

However, Josh Tongue was with the reserves elsewhere 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, indeed, at a venue where the visitors have not won a match for decades.

“It is a chance to create history,” Root commented on this fact. “It would make it even more satisfying if we succeed at this ground.”