🔗 Share this article

Rarely that an English cricketer gets labeled as whinging in Australia, but when Joe Root was questioned regarding the need of day-night Tests during the Ashes, he offered an honest answer.

“I personally don’t think so,” Root replied prior to England's practice in Brisbane. “It’s obviously very successful and well-received in this country, and Australia boast a strong record in these matches. It's understandable why one match is scheduled.

“Ultimately, you know from two years out that it’s scheduled. It’s part of being ready for such contests. For a series like this, does it need it? Probably not … but that doesn’t mean 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’ve got to play it, and must ensure we outperform our opponents at it.”

Joe Root's Performance Under Lights Takes a Dip

Like his counterpart, Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers take a hit with the pink ball. The Yorkshire batsman has featured in each of the seven England's pink-ball matches to date, and although a century in his first such match versus the Windies back in 2017, his overall average above 50 falls to 38.5 in these games.

Conversely, bowler Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 and a strike rate around 50 in general, but those numbers shift to 17.08 and 33.3 respectively with the pink ball. During his most recent floodlit game, in Jamaica, he took six wickets for nine runs as West Indies were bowled out 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 head-to-head between Root and Starc is emerging as one of the deciding factors in this series. While Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have traditionally troubled him more, in their absence in the first Test, it was Starc who got him out for a duck and eight.

Root later reasoned that the first dismissal was just a good ball—the kind that might not carry the slips back home. His next dismissal, when he chopped on, amid second-day collapse, was an error by him. “I know I’m a good player,” he said. “I know I’m going to score runs again.”

England's Hurdles and Readiness

Starc now uses the wobble-seam as his preferred weapon these days—he noted he wished he'd heeded his teammates' suggestions earlier—and in muggy conditions, swing could be available. England, trailing 1-0, face additional obstacles in this Test, and runs from their top batsman would help in recovering from a self-inflicted hole.

It might not need a hundred if another rapid shootout unfolds, yet Root's absence of a century on Australian soil remains a talking point. “I didn't get time to dwell on it,” was his humble reply on being questioned if the stat weighed on him during the first Test.

Team Selection and Historic Opportunity

Root and his teammates practiced hard on Sunday, to the sound of hip-hop setting the tone on a hot afternoon. Monday and Wednesday are vital for their readiness, conducted in evening conditions.

Mark Wood’s absence with a sore knee has created an opening in the team, and Will Jacks practicing among the batsmen hints he could be in contention. His off-breaks are decent, and extra runs at number eight might offset any conceded runs.

However, Josh Tongue was with the reserves in Canberra and remains an option if England opt for an all-pace attack, and spinner Bashir was included previously. Plenty to consider, then, at a ground where England have not won a Test in over 40 years.

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