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

“From my perspective, it's not necessary,” Root replied before England's net session in Brisbane. “Clearly very successful and well-received here in Australia, and the hosts have an impressive track record with the pink ball. You can understand why one match is scheduled.

“In the end, we are aware well in advance that it’s scheduled. It’s part 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. In my opinion it matches traditional Test cricket. But it’s in the schedule. We’ve got to play it, and must ensure to be better our opponents at it.”

Root's Record Under Lights Declines

Similar to his opposite number, Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers see a drop with the pink ball. The England star has featured in all seven of England’s floodlit Tests to date, and despite a hundred in his first outing versus the Windies in 2017, his career average of 50.9 falls to 38.5 under lights.

On the other hand, paceman Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 with a strike-rate around 50 in general, but those numbers shift to 17.08 and 33.3 correspondingly in day-night Tests. In his last floodlit game, in Jamaica, he claimed six wickets for nine runs as the opposition were dismissed for a meager 27—his best performance that he bettered 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 one of the deciding factors in this series. While Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood usually caused him issues, with them missing last week, it was Starc who dismissed him for scores of a duck and eight.

Root has reflected the initial wicket came from a fine delivery—the kind that may not reach to slip back home. His next dismissal, when he chopped on, amid the team's slump, was a miscalculation on his part. “I know I’m a good player,” he said. “I believe I will return to form.”

England's Challenges and Preparations

Starc now uses 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 may also come into play. England, down one match, have more to overcome in this Test, and runs from their top batsman could aid them recover from their own mistakes.

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

Squad Decisions and Chance for History

Root and his teammates practiced hard over the weekend, with hip-hop providing the backdrop in the heat. 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, and Will Jacks netting with the main batters hints he could be the frontrunner. The all-rounder’s off-breaks are adequate, and extra runs at number eight might offset any bowling leaks.

That said, Josh Tongue was with the reserves elsewhere and is still in the mix if England opt for pace-heavy bowling, and spinner Bashir was in the squad previously. Plenty to consider, indeed, at a venue where England have not won a Test for decades.

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