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Rarely for an England player gets labeled as whinging down under, but when the former captain faced questions about the necessity of day-night Tests in a series like the Ashes, he offered a straightforward answer.

“I personally don’t think so,” Root replied before England's practice at the Gabba. “It’s obviously very successful and well-received in this country, and Australia boast a strong track record with the pink ball. You can understand why one match is scheduled.

“In the end, you know from two years out it will happen. It's a requirement of being ready for the series. 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 we outperform than Australia at it.”

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

Like his counterpart, Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers see a drop in day-night games. The England star has featured in each of the seven England's floodlit Tests so far, and despite a hundred in his debut such match versus the Windies back in 2017, his career average of 50.9 falls to just over 38 in these games.

On the other hand, bowler Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 and a strike rate of 49.9 overall, but those numbers improve to 17.08 and 33.3 correspondingly in day-night Tests. In his last floodlit game, against West Indies, he claimed six wickets for nine runs as the opposition were dismissed for a meager 27—career-best figures that he bettered by taking seven for 58 in the next Test.

Key Battle Root vs Starc Could Shape Series

The matchup of Root and Starc is emerging as one of the key contests in this series. Although Cummins and Hazlewood usually caused him issues, with them missing in the first Test, the veteran Starc who dismissed him for a duck and eight.

Root later reasoned that the first dismissal was just a good ball—the kind that might not carry to slip in England. The second, bowled chopping 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 Preparations

Starc now uses the wobble seam as his main tactic these days—he noted he should have listened to Hazlewood and Cummins suggestions earlier—and in humid Brisbane, swing may also come into play. England, down one match, have more to overcome in this Test, and runs from their premier batter could aid in recovering from a self-inflicted hole.

This may not require a century should there be rapid shootout unfolds, yet Root's absence of a century in Australia continues to haunt him. “I didn’t have long enough to dwell on it,” was his humble reply on being questioned if the stat weighed on him in Perth.

Team Selection and Historic Opportunity

Root and his teammates practiced hard on Sunday, to the sound of 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, with Jacks practicing among the batsmen hints he could be in contention. His off-spin are decent, and extra runs down the order might offset any bowling leaks.

However, seamer Tongue has been with the Lions in Canberra and is still in the mix if England opt for an all-pace attack, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was included previously. Much to think about, then, at a venue where England have not won a Test for decades.

“It's an opportunity to create history,” Root commented regarding this. “It would be even more satisfying if we win here.”