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It's not often for an England player gets labeled as whinging down under, but when the former captain was questioned about the necessity of day-night Tests in a series like the Ashes, he offered a straightforward answer.

“From my perspective, it's not necessary,” Root replied prior to England's practice at the Gabba. “It’s obviously highly popular and popular here in Australia, and Australia boast a strong record in these matches. You can understand why one match is scheduled.

“Ultimately, we are aware well in advance it will happen. It's a requirement of preparing for such contests. In a contest of this magnitude, is it essential? I don’t think so … yet it doesn't imply it has no place. I'm fine with it. I don’t think it’s as good as the conventional format. But it's on the calendar. We have to participate, and must ensure to be better than Australia at it.”

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

Similar to his opposite number, Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar stats take a hit with the pink ball. The Yorkshire batsman has featured in each of the seven England's floodlit Tests so far, and despite a hundred in his first such match versus the Windies back in 2017, his overall average above 50 falls to 38.5 in these games.

Conversely, paceman Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 and a strike rate around 50 overall, but those numbers improve to 17.08 and 33.3 correspondingly in day-night Tests. During his most recent floodlit game, in Jamaica, he claimed six wickets for nine runs as the opposition were bowled out for a meager 27—his best performance that he bettered with seven for 58 in Perth.

Deciding Duel Between Root and Starc May Determine Outcome

The head-to-head between 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 last week, the veteran Starc who dismissed him for zero and eight.

Root has reflected the initial wicket was just a good ball—the kind that may not reach to slip back home. His next dismissal, when he chopped on, amid the team's slump, was a miscalculation by him. “I know I’m a good player,” he said. “I know I’m going to return to form.”

The Touring Side's Challenges and Readiness

Starc has adopted the wobble-seam as his main tactic these days—he admitted he wished he'd heeded 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 top batsman would help in recovering from their own mistakes.

This may not require a hundred if another 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,” was his humble reply on being questioned if the stat weighed on him during the first Test.

Team Selection and Chance for History

The England squad trained intensely on Sunday, to the sound of hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are crucial for their readiness, held under lights.

Wood being unavailable with a sore knee opens up a spot in the team, with Jacks netting with the main batters hints he could be the frontrunner. The all-rounder’s off-breaks are decent, and additional scoring down the order could balance any bowling leaks.

That said, Josh Tongue has been with the Lions in Canberra and remains an option should England choose an all-pace attack, and spinner Bashir was in the squad last week. Plenty to consider, indeed, at a ground where England haven’t won a Test for decades.

“It is a chance to create history,” Root said on this fact. “It would be even more satisfying if we succeed here.”