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It's not often that an English cricketer gets labeled as whinging in Australia, yet when Joe Root was questioned about the necessity for pink-ball cricket during the Ashes, he offered an honest response.

“From my perspective, it's not necessary,” Root replied prior to England's net session at the Gabba. “Clearly very successful and popular 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, you know well in advance that it’s scheduled. It's a requirement of being ready for such contests. In a contest of this magnitude, is it essential? I don’t think so … but that doesn’t mean it has no place. I'm fine with it. I don’t think it matches the conventional format. But it’s in the schedule. We have to participate, and must ensure to be better our opponents at it.”

Root's Performance in Day-Night Tests Suffers

Like his counterpart, Australia's Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers take a hit with the pink ball. The England star has played each of the seven of England’s floodlit Tests to date, and despite a century in his first outing versus the Windies back in 2017, his overall average of 50.9 falls to 38.5 in these games.

Conversely, paceman Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 and a strike rate of 49.9 in general, but those numbers improve to 17.08 and 33.3 correspondingly with the pink ball. In his last floodlit game, against West Indies, he claimed six for nine as West Indies were dismissed for a meager 27—his best performance that were soon surpassed with seven for 58 in Perth.

Deciding Duel Root vs Starc May Determine Outcome

The head-to-head between Root and Starc is emerging as one of the deciding factors in the Ashes. Although Cummins and Hazlewood usually troubled him more, with them missing last week, the veteran Starc who got him out for scores of a duck and eight.

Root has reflected that the first dismissal came from a fine delivery—the type that may not reach to slip back home. The second, when he chopped on, during England’s the team's slump, was a miscalculation by him. “I know I’m a good player,” he said. “I know I’m going to score runs again.”

The Touring Side's Hurdles and Readiness

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 humid Brisbane, swing may also come into play. England, trailing 1-0, have more to overcome in this Test, and runs from their premier batter could aid them recover from their own mistakes.

This may not require a hundred if another quick-fire match occurs, but Root’s lack of a ton in Australia remains a talking point. “I didn’t have long enough to think about it,” was his humble reply when asked whether that record weighed on him during the first Test.

Team Selection and Chance for History

Root and his teammates practiced hard over the weekend, to the sound of hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are crucial for their readiness, conducted in evening conditions.

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

However, Josh Tongue was with the reserves in Canberra and is still in the mix if England opt for an all-pace attack, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was in the squad last week. Plenty to consider, then, at a venue where England have not won a match for decades.

“It is a chance to create history,” Root said regarding this. “It would make it even more satisfying if we succeed at this ground.”