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Rarely that an English cricketer is accused of complaining in Australia, but when the former captain was questioned about the necessity of day-night Tests during the Ashes, he offered a straightforward response.

“From my perspective, it's not necessary,” Root stated prior to England's net session at the Gabba. “It’s obviously very successful and well-received here in Australia, and the hosts have an impressive track record with the pink ball. It's understandable why one match is scheduled.

“In the end, you know well in advance it will happen. It's a requirement of being ready for the series. In a contest of this magnitude, is it essential? Probably not … yet it doesn't imply it has no place. I'm fine with it. In my opinion it matches the conventional format. But it's on the calendar. We have to participate, and we just need to be better than Australia in these conditions.”

Joe Root's Record in Day-Night Tests Declines

Similar to his opposite number, Australia's Steve Smith, Root’s typically strong numbers take a hit with the pink ball. The England star has played all seven England's pink-ball matches so far, and despite a century in his first such match against West Indies in 2017, his overall average above 50 falls to just over 38 in these games.

On the other hand, bowler Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 and a strike rate around 50 in general, but those numbers shift to 17.08 and 33.3 respectively with the pink ball. During his most recent pink-ball appearance, against West Indies, he took six wickets for nine runs as West Indies were dismissed for 27—his best performance that were soon surpassed by taking seven for 58 in the next Test.

Deciding Duel Between Root and Starc May Determine Outcome

The matchup of Root and Starc is shaping up to be a potential key contests in this series. Although Cummins and Hazlewood usually troubled him more, with them missing last week, the veteran Starc who dismissed him for scores of zero and eight.

Root later reasoned that the first dismissal was just a good ball—the type that may not reach the slips back home. The second, bowled chopping on, during England’s second-day collapse, was a miscalculation on his part. “I am confident in my ability,” he said. “I believe I will return to form.”

England's Hurdles and Preparations

Starc has adopted the wobble-seam as his main tactic these days—he admitted he should have listened to Hazlewood and Cummins suggestions earlier—and in humid Brisbane, swing may also be available. England, down one match, face additional obstacles in this Test, and contributions by their premier batter could aid them recover from their own mistakes.

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

Squad Decisions and Historic Opportunity

Root and his teammates trained intensely over the weekend, to the sound of hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are vital for their readiness, held under lights.

Wood being unavailable due to a knee issue opens up a spot in the team, and Will Jacks netting with the main batters suggests he might be the frontrunner. The all-rounder’s off-spin are adequate, and extra runs at number eight 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 pace-heavy bowling, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was in the squad last week. Plenty to consider, indeed, at a ground where the visitors haven’t won a Test for decades.

“It is a chance to make history,” Root said on this fact. “It would be all the sweeter if we win here.”