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It's not often that an English cricketer gets labeled as whinging in Australia, but when Joe Root faced questions regarding the need for pink-ball cricket in a series like the Ashes, he offered an honest answer.

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

“Ultimately, you know well in advance it will happen. It’s part of preparing for the series. In a contest of this magnitude, does it need it? Probably not … but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be included. I don’t mind it. In my opinion it matches the conventional format. But it’s in the schedule. We’ve got to play it, and must ensure we outperform than Australia in these conditions.”

Joe Root's Performance in Day-Night Tests Suffers

Like his counterpart, Steve Smith, Root’s typically strong numbers see a drop in day-night games. The England star has played each of the seven England's pink-ball matches to date, and despite a century in his debut outing against West Indies back in 2017, his overall average above 50 falls to 38.5 in these games.

Conversely, bowler Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 and a strike rate of 49.9 overall, yet these figures improve to 17.08 and 33.3 respectively with the pink ball. In his last floodlit game, in Jamaica, he took six wickets for nine runs as the opposition were bowled out for a meager 27—career-best figures that he bettered by taking seven wickets for 58 in Perth.

Key Battle Root vs Starc Could Shape Series

The head-to-head of Root and Starc is shaping up to be a potential key contests in the Ashes. 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 the initial wicket was just a good ball—the kind that might not carry to slip in England. His next dismissal, bowled chopping on, during England’s the team's slump, was a miscalculation by him. “I am confident in my ability,” he stated. “I know I’m going to return to form.”

The Touring Side's Hurdles and Preparations

Starc has adopted the wobble seam as his main tactic nowadays—he admitted he wished he'd heeded to Hazlewood and Cummins advice sooner—and in muggy conditions, swing could come into play. England, down one match, face additional obstacles in this Test, and contributions by their top batsman would help them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

It might not need a hundred if another rapid shootout unfolds, but Root’s lack 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 whether that record bothered him during the first Test.

Squad Decisions and Chance for History

The England squad practiced hard on Sunday, to the sound of hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. The key sessions are crucial for England’s preparations, conducted in evening conditions.

Mark Wood’s absence with a sore knee opens up a spot in the lineup, with Jacks practicing among the batsmen suggests he might be in contention. The all-rounder’s off-spin are decent, and additional scoring down the order could balance any conceded runs.

That said, seamer Tongue was with the reserves in Canberra and remains an option should England choose pace-heavy bowling, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was included previously. Plenty to consider, indeed, at a venue where England have not won a match for decades.

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