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Rarely for an England player gets labeled as complaining in Australia, but when the former captain was questioned about the necessity of day-night Tests in a series like the Ashes, he offered a straightforward response.

“I personally don’t think so,” Root responded before England's practice at the Gabba. “It’s obviously very successful and popular here in Australia, and Australia have an impressive track record in these matches. It's understandable why one match is scheduled.

“In the end, you know from two years out that it’s scheduled. It's a requirement of preparing for the series. In a contest of this magnitude, does it need it? I don’t think so … yet it doesn't imply it shouldn’t be included. I don’t mind it. I don’t think it matches the conventional format. But it's on the calendar. We’ve got to play it, and must ensure to be better than Australia at it.”

Joe Root's Performance in Day-Night Tests Takes a Dip

Similar to his opposite number, Steve Smith, Root’s typically strong stats see a drop in day-night games. The England star has featured in all seven of England’s pink-ball matches to date, and despite a century in his debut such match versus the Windies in 2017, his overall average above 50 falls to 38.5 in these games.

Conversely, bowler Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 with a strike-rate around 50 overall, but those numbers shift to 17 and 33 respectively in day-night Tests. In his last pink-ball appearance, in Jamaica, he claimed six wickets for nine runs as the opposition were bowled out for 27—his best performance that were soon surpassed with seven for 58 in the next Test.

Deciding Duel Root vs Starc Could Shape Series

The head-to-head of Root and Starc is emerging as a potential key contests in the Ashes. While Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have traditionally troubled him more, with them missing last week, the veteran Starc who dismissed him for zero and eight.

Root later reasoned the initial wicket was just a good ball—the kind that may not reach to slip back home. The second, bowled chopping on, amid second-day collapse, was a miscalculation on his part. “I know I’m a good player,” he said. “I believe I will score runs again.”

The Touring Side's Hurdles and Preparations

Starc now uses the wobble seam as his preferred weapon these days—he noted he wished he'd heeded to Hazlewood and Cummins suggestions earlier—and in muggy conditions, swing may also be available. England, down one match, have more to overcome in this Test, and contributions by their top batsman could aid them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

It might not need a century if another quick-fire match unfolds, yet Root's absence of a ton on Australian soil continues to haunt him. “I didn't get time to think about it,” he modestly answered when asked whether that record bothered him during the first Test.

Team Selection and Chance for History

The England squad trained intensely on Sunday, with hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are vital for their readiness, 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. The all-rounder’s off-spin are adequate, and additional scoring down the order could balance any conceded runs.

That said, Josh Tongue has been with the Lions in Canberra and remains an option if England opt for an all-pace attack, and spinner Bashir was in the squad last week. Much to think about, then, at a venue where the visitors haven’t won a Test in over 40 years.

“It's an opportunity to create history,” Root commented on this fact. “It would make it all the sweeter if we win here.”