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It's not often for an England player gets labeled as whinging down under, yet when Joe Root was questioned regarding the need for pink-ball cricket during the Ashes, he offered a straightforward response.

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

“Ultimately, you know well in advance that it’s scheduled. It's a requirement of being ready for the series. For a series like this, does it need it? I don’t think so … yet it doesn't imply it has no place. I don’t mind it. In my opinion it’s as good as traditional Test cricket. But it's on the calendar. We have to participate, and we just need to be better our opponents in these conditions.”

Joe Root's Performance Under Lights Suffers

Similar to his opposite number, Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers see a drop with the pink ball. The England star has played all seven England's pink-ball matches to date, and despite a century in his first outing against West Indies back in 2017, his overall average above 50 drops to 38.5 under lights.

On the other hand, paceman Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 and a strike rate of 49.9 overall, but those numbers improve to 17 and 33 correspondingly with the pink ball. During his most recent pink-ball appearance, against West Indies, he took six wickets for nine runs as the opposition were dismissed for 27—career-best figures that he bettered by taking seven wickets for 58 in the next Test.

Key Battle Between Root and Starc May Determine Outcome

The matchup between Root and Starc is emerging as a potential key contests in the Ashes. Although Cummins and Hazlewood have traditionally caused him issues, in their absence in the first Test, the veteran Starc who dismissed him for scores of a duck and eight.

Root has reflected the initial wicket was just a good ball—the kind that might not carry to slip in England. The second, when he chopped on, during England’s second-day collapse, was an error on his part. “I know I’m a good player,” he said. “I know I’m going to return to form.”

The Touring Side's Challenges and Preparations

Starc now uses the wobble seam as his main tactic these days—he admitted he should have listened to Hazlewood and Cummins advice sooner—and in humid Brisbane, swing could come into play. England, down one match, face additional obstacles this week, and contributions by their premier batter could aid in recovering from a self-inflicted hole.

It might not need a century should there be rapid shootout occurs, yet Root's absence of a century on Australian soil remains a talking point. “I didn’t have long enough to think about it,” he modestly answered when asked whether that record bothered him in Perth.

Squad Decisions and Historic Opportunity

The England squad trained intensely over the weekend, with hip-hop providing the backdrop on a hot afternoon. Monday and Wednesday are vital for England’s preparations, held under lights.

Wood being unavailable due to a knee issue opens up a spot in the team, with Jacks netting with the main batters hints he could be the frontrunner. The all-rounder’s off-breaks are decent, and extra runs at number eight could balance any conceded runs.

However, Josh Tongue was with the reserves elsewhere and is still in the mix if England opt for an all-pace attack, and spinner Bashir was included previously. Plenty to consider, indeed, at a venue where the visitors haven’t won a match for decades.

“It's an opportunity to make history,” Root commented on this fact. “It would make it even more satisfying if we win at this ground.”