🔗 Share this article

It's not often that an English cricketer gets labeled as complaining down under, yet when Joe Root faced questions regarding the need for pink-ball cricket during the Ashes, he offered a straightforward answer.

“I personally don’t think so,” Root replied prior to England's practice in Brisbane. “Clearly very successful and well-received in this country, and Australia have an impressive record with the pink ball. It's understandable why one match is scheduled.

“Ultimately, we are aware well in advance that it’s scheduled. It's a requirement of preparing for such contests. For a series like this, is it essential? I don’t think so … yet it doesn't imply it shouldn’t be included. I don’t mind it. In my opinion it matches traditional Test cricket. But it's on the calendar. We’ve got to play it, and we just need to be better than Australia in these conditions.”

Joe Root's Performance Under Lights Suffers

Like his counterpart, Australia's Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers take a hit with the pink ball. The Yorkshire batsman has played all seven of England’s floodlit Tests so far, and although a century in his debut outing against West Indies in 2017, his overall average above 50 falls to 38.5 under lights.

Conversely, bowler Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 with a strike-rate around 50 overall, yet these figures improve to 17 and 33 correspondingly with the pink ball. In his last floodlit game, in Jamaica, he claimed six wickets for nine runs as West Indies were bowled out for 27—his best performance that he bettered by taking seven for 58 in Perth.

Deciding Duel Root vs Starc May Determine Outcome

The head-to-head of Root and Starc is shaping up to be one of the deciding factors in this series. While Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood usually troubled him more, in their absence last week, the veteran Starc who got him out for scores of a duck and eight.

Root has reflected that the first dismissal was just a good ball—the type that might not carry to slip in England. The second, bowled chopping on, during England’s the team's slump, was an error by him. “I am confident in my ability,” he said. “I believe I will score runs again.”

England's Challenges and Readiness

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 muggy conditions, swing could come into play. England, trailing 1-0, face additional obstacles in this Test, and runs from their top batsman could aid them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

This may not require a hundred if another quick-fire match occurs, yet Root's absence of a ton on Australian soil continues to haunt him. “I didn’t have long enough to dwell on it,” was his humble reply when asked if the stat bothered him in Perth.

Team Selection and Chance for History

The England squad trained intensely over the weekend, with hip-hop providing the backdrop on a hot afternoon. Monday and Wednesday are vital for England’s preparations, conducted in evening conditions.

Wood being unavailable due to a knee issue opens up a spot in the lineup, with Jacks netting with the main batters hints he could be in contention. The all-rounder’s off-spin are decent, and extra runs at number eight might offset any bowling leaks.

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 in the squad previously. Much to think about, indeed, at a ground where the visitors haven’t won a match for decades.

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