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It's not often that an English cricketer gets labeled as complaining in Australia, yet when Joe Root faced questions regarding the need of day-night Tests in a series like the Ashes, he offered an honest response.

“I personally don’t think so,” Root stated prior to England's practice at the Gabba. “It’s obviously very successful and well-received here in Australia, and the hosts boast a strong record in these matches. You can understand why one match is scheduled.

“In the end, you know from two years out it will happen. It’s part of being ready for such contests. In a contest of this magnitude, does it need it? Probably not … yet it doesn't imply it shouldn’t be included. I'm fine with it. I don’t think 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 than Australia at it.”

Root's Performance in Day-Night Tests Declines

Similar to his opposite number, Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar stats take a hit in day-night games. The England star has played all seven England's pink-ball matches to date, and although a century in his first outing versus the Windies in 2017, his career average of 50.9 falls to 38.5 in these games.

Conversely, paceman Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 with a strike-rate around 50 in general, yet these figures shift to 17.08 and 33.3 respectively in day-night Tests. In his last floodlit game, against West Indies, he took six for nine as the opposition were bowled out for 27—career-best figures that were soon surpassed with seven for 58 in the next Test.

Deciding Duel Root vs Starc May Determine Outcome

The head-to-head between Root and Starc is shaping up to be a potential key contests in the Ashes. While Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood usually caused him issues, in their absence last week, the veteran Starc who got him out for scores of a duck and eight.

Root later reasoned that the first dismissal came from a fine delivery—the type that might not carry the slips in England. The second, bowled chopping on, amid the team's slump, was a miscalculation by him. “I am confident in my ability,” he stated. “I know I’m going to return to form.”

The Touring Side's Challenges and Readiness

Starc now uses the wobble seam as his preferred weapon these days—he admitted he should have listened his teammates' advice sooner—and in muggy conditions, swing may also come into play. England, trailing 1-0, have more to overcome this week, and runs from their premier batter could aid them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

It might not need a hundred should there be quick-fire match unfolds, but Root’s lack 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 during the first Test.

Team Selection and Chance for History

The England squad practiced hard on Sunday, to the sound of hip-hop providing the backdrop in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are vital for their readiness, conducted in evening conditions.

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. His off-breaks are adequate, and extra runs at number eight might offset any conceded runs.

However, seamer Tongue was with the reserves in Canberra and is still in the mix if England opt for pace-heavy bowling, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was included last week. Much to think about, then, at a ground where England haven’t won a match in over 40 years.

“It's an opportunity to make history,” Root commented regarding this. “It would be all the sweeter if we win at this ground.”