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Rarely for an England player is accused of complaining down under, yet when the former captain faced questions regarding the need of day-night Tests during the Ashes, he gave a straightforward response.

“I personally don’t think so,” Root stated before England's net session at the Gabba. “Clearly very successful and well-received in this country, and the hosts boast a strong 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 part of preparing for the series. In a contest of this magnitude, does it need it? I don’t think so … but that doesn’t mean it has no place. I'm fine with it. In my opinion it’s as good as the conventional format. But it’s in the schedule. We have to participate, and we just need we outperform than Australia at it.”

Joe Root's Performance Under Lights Suffers

Like his counterpart, Australia's Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers take a hit in day-night games. The England star has played each of the seven England's pink-ball matches so far, and although a hundred in his first outing versus the Windies back in 2017, his career average of 50.9 drops to 38.5 in these games.

On the other hand, paceman Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 and a strike rate around 50 in general, yet these figures shift to 17.08 and 33.3 respectively with the pink ball. In his last floodlit game, against West Indies, he claimed six for nine as West Indies were dismissed for 27—his best performance that were soon surpassed with seven wickets for 58 in Perth.

Deciding Duel Root vs Starc May Determine Outcome

The head-to-head of Root and Starc is emerging as one of the key contests in this series. Although Cummins and Hazlewood have traditionally troubled him more, with them missing last week, the veteran Starc who got him out for scores of a duck and eight.

Root later reasoned the initial wicket was just a good ball—the kind that may not reach the slips back home. The second, when he chopped on, during England’s second-day collapse, was a miscalculation by him. “I am confident in my ability,” he said. “I know I’m going to return to form.”

England's Challenges and Preparations

Starc now uses the wobble seam as his main tactic nowadays—he admitted he should have listened to Hazlewood and Cummins suggestions earlier—and in muggy conditions, swing may also come into play. England, down one match, have more to overcome this week, and contributions by their premier batter could aid them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

It might not need a hundred should there be rapid shootout unfolds, yet Root's absence of a ton on Australian soil continues to haunt him. “I didn't get time to think about it,” he modestly answered on being questioned whether that record weighed on him during the first Test.

Squad Decisions and Historic Opportunity

Root and his teammates practiced hard over the weekend, with hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are crucial for England’s preparations, conducted in evening conditions.

Mark Wood’s absence with a sore knee has created an opening in the team, and Will Jacks netting with the main batters hints he could be the frontrunner. The all-rounder’s off-spin are decent, and extra runs down the order might offset any bowling leaks.

That said, Josh Tongue was with the reserves in Canberra and remains an option should England choose pace-heavy bowling, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was included previously. Plenty to consider, then, at a venue where the visitors haven’t won a match in over 40 years.

“It's an opportunity to create history,” Root said regarding this. “It would make it all the sweeter if we succeed here.”