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It's not often for an England player is accused of whinging in Australia, but when Joe Root was questioned about the necessity of day-night Tests in a series like the Ashes, he gave a straightforward answer.

“From my perspective, it's not necessary,” Root replied before England's practice in Brisbane. “It’s obviously very successful and popular in this country, and Australia boast a strong track record with the pink ball. You can understand why one match is scheduled.

“Ultimately, you know 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? Probably not … but that doesn’t mean it has no place. I don’t mind it. I don’t think it’s as good as traditional Test cricket. But it’s in the schedule. We’ve got to play it, and must ensure we outperform than Australia at it.”

Root's Performance Under Lights Declines

Similar to his opposite number, Steve Smith, Root’s typically strong stats see a drop with the pink ball. The Yorkshire batsman has played each of the seven England's floodlit Tests so far, and although a hundred in his first such match versus the Windies back in 2017, his overall average above 50 drops to 38.5 in these games.

Conversely, bowler Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 with a strike-rate of 49.9 in general, yet these figures shift to 17.08 and 33.3 respectively with the pink ball. In his last pink-ball appearance, in Jamaica, he took six for nine as the opposition were bowled out for 27—career-best figures that he bettered by taking seven wickets for 58 in Perth.

Deciding Duel Between Root and Starc May Determine Outcome

The matchup of Root and Starc is emerging as one of the key contests in this series. While Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have traditionally troubled him more, with them missing last week, the veteran Starc who got him out for scores of zero and eight.

Root has reflected that the first dismissal came from a fine delivery—the type that might not carry the slips in England. The second, bowled chopping on, during England’s second-day collapse, was an error by him. “I know I’m a good player,” he stated. “I believe I will score runs again.”

England's Challenges and Preparations

Starc now uses the wobble-seam as his preferred weapon 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, face additional obstacles this week, and runs from their premier batter would help them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

This may not require a century should there be rapid shootout 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,” he modestly answered when asked if the stat weighed on him in Perth.

Squad Decisions and Chance for History

Root and his teammates trained intensely on Sunday, to the sound of hip-hop providing the backdrop in the heat. The key sessions are crucial for England’s preparations, held under lights.

Mark Wood’s absence due to a knee issue opens up a spot in the lineup, with Jacks practicing among the batsmen suggests he might be the frontrunner. The all-rounder’s off-breaks are decent, and extra runs down the order could balance any bowling leaks.

However, seamer Tongue has been with the Lions in Canberra and remains an option if England opt for pace-heavy bowling, and spinner Bashir was in the squad previously. Much to think about, then, at a ground where the visitors have not won a match for decades.

“It's an opportunity to create history,” Root said regarding this. “It would be all the sweeter if we win here.”