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It's not often that an English cricketer gets labeled as complaining in Australia, but when the former captain faced questions about the necessity for pink-ball cricket during the Ashes, he offered a straightforward response.

“My personal view is no,” Root responded before England's net session in Brisbane. “It’s obviously very successful and popular in this country, and the hosts boast a strong record in these matches. It's understandable why we’re playing.

“In the end, you know from two years out it will happen. It’s part of preparing for such contests. In a contest of this magnitude, is it essential? Probably not … yet it doesn't imply it shouldn’t be included. I don’t mind it. In my opinion it matches the conventional format. But it's on the calendar. We have to participate, and we just need to be better our opponents in these conditions.”

Root's Record in Day-Night Tests Suffers

Like his counterpart, Australia's Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers see a drop with the pink ball. The England star has featured in each of the seven of England’s floodlit Tests so far, and although a hundred in his debut such match against West Indies back in 2017, his career average above 50 falls to just over 38 in these games.

On the other hand, paceman Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 and a strike rate of 49.9 overall, yet these figures shift to 17 and 33 correspondingly with the pink ball. During his most recent pink-ball appearance, in Jamaica, he took 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.

Key Battle Between Root and Starc Could Shape Series

The matchup between Root and Starc is shaping up to be one of the key contests in the Ashes. While Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood usually troubled him more, in their absence in the first Test, the veteran Starc who dismissed him for scores of zero and eight.

Root later reasoned that the first dismissal was just a good ball—the type that might not carry the slips back home. The second, when he chopped on, during England’s second-day collapse, was an error by him. “I am confident in my ability,” he said. “I know I’m going to score runs again.”

England's Challenges and Preparations

Starc now uses the wobble seam as his preferred weapon these days—he noted he wished he'd heeded his teammates' advice sooner—and in muggy conditions, swing may also be available. England, trailing 1-0, face additional obstacles this week, and contributions by their top batsman could aid in recovering from a self-inflicted hole.

This may not require a hundred should there be quick-fire match occurs, but Root’s lack of a century on Australian soil remains a talking point. “I didn’t have long enough to dwell on it,” was his humble reply when asked if the stat bothered him during the first Test.

Team Selection and Chance for History

The England squad trained intensely over the weekend, to the sound of hip-hop providing the backdrop on a hot afternoon. The key sessions are vital for England’s preparations, held under lights.

Wood being unavailable due to a knee issue opens up a spot in the lineup, with Jacks practicing among the batsmen hints he could be in contention. The all-rounder’s off-breaks are adequate, and additional scoring down the order could balance any conceded runs.

That said, seamer Tongue was with the reserves elsewhere and is still in the mix should England choose an all-pace attack, and spinner Bashir was included last week. Plenty to consider, then, at a venue where England haven’t won a Test in over 40 years.

“It's an opportunity to create history,” Root said on this fact. “It would be even more satisfying if we succeed here.”