🔗 Share this article

Rarely that an English cricketer gets labeled as whinging down under, but when the former captain was questioned about the necessity of day-night Tests during the Ashes, he offered an honest answer.

“My personal view is no,” Root replied prior to England's net session at the Gabba. “It’s obviously very successful and well-received here in Australia, and Australia have an impressive record in these matches. It's understandable why we’re playing.

“In the end, we are aware well in advance that it’s scheduled. It's a requirement of being ready for such contests. For a series like this, does it need it? I don’t think so … but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be included. I'm fine with it. I don’t think it matches traditional Test cricket. But it's on the calendar. We’ve got to play it, and we just need we outperform our opponents in these conditions.”

Root's Performance Under Lights Declines

Like his counterpart, Australia's Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers take a hit in day-night games. The Yorkshire batsman has played all seven of England’s floodlit Tests so far, and despite a century in his first such match against West Indies in 2017, his overall average above 50 falls to just over 38 under lights.

On the other hand, bowler Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 and a strike rate around 50 in general, but those numbers improve to 17.08 and 33.3 correspondingly with the pink ball. During his most recent pink-ball appearance, in Jamaica, he claimed six wickets for nine runs as West Indies 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 matchup of Root and Starc is shaping up to be one of the key contests in this series. Although Cummins and Hazlewood usually troubled him more, with them missing last week, it was Starc who got him out for scores of zero and eight.

Root later reasoned that the first dismissal was just a good ball—the type that may not reach to slip in England. The second, when he chopped on, amid second-day collapse, was a miscalculation on his part. “I am confident in my ability,” 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 to Hazlewood and Cummins suggestions earlier—and in muggy conditions, swing could be available. England, down one match, face additional obstacles this week, and runs from their top batsman could aid them recover from their own mistakes.

It might not need a century if another quick-fire match unfolds, but Root’s lack of a ton on Australian soil continues to haunt him. “I didn’t have long enough to dwell on it,” was his humble reply on being questioned whether that record bothered him in Perth.

Team Selection and Chance for History

The England squad practiced hard over the weekend, to the sound of hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. The key sessions are vital for their readiness, conducted in evening conditions.

Mark Wood’s absence with a sore knee has created an opening in the lineup, with Jacks practicing among the batsmen hints he could be the frontrunner. His off-breaks are adequate, and additional scoring down the order might offset any conceded runs.

However, seamer Tongue was with the reserves elsewhere and is still in the mix if England opt for an all-pace attack, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was included last week. Plenty to consider, indeed, at a venue where the visitors haven’t won a match in over 40 years.

“It is a chance to create history,” Root said on this fact. “It would be all the sweeter if we succeed at this ground.”