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It's not often for an England player gets labeled as whinging down under, yet when the former captain faced questions regarding the need of day-night Tests in a series like the Ashes, he gave a straightforward answer.

“From my perspective, it's not necessary,” Root stated prior to England's practice in Brisbane. “It’s obviously very successful and popular in this country, and the hosts have an impressive record with the pink ball. You can understand why one match is scheduled.

“Ultimately, we are aware from two years out it will happen. It's a requirement of preparing for the series. For a series like this, does it need it? Probably not … yet it doesn't imply it shouldn’t be included. I'm fine with it. I don’t think it’s as good as the conventional format. 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 stats see a drop with the pink ball. The England star has featured in each of the seven of England’s pink-ball matches so far, and although a hundred in his first such match against West Indies in 2017, his career average above 50 drops to 38.5 under lights.

On the other hand, bowler Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 and a strike rate of 49.9 overall, yet these figures shift to 17.08 and 33.3 correspondingly in day-night Tests. In his last floodlit game, in Jamaica, he claimed six wickets for nine runs as West Indies were bowled out for a meager 27—his best performance that were soon surpassed with seven wickets for 58 in the next Test.

Deciding Duel Between Root and Starc Could Shape Series

The matchup of 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, with them missing last week, it was Starc who dismissed him for zero and eight.

Root has reflected the initial wicket was just a good ball—the type that may not reach to slip back home. The second, when he chopped on, amid second-day collapse, was an error on his part. “I know I’m a good player,” he said. “I believe I will return to form.”

The Touring Side's Challenges and Preparations

Starc has adopted the wobble seam as his preferred weapon these days—he admitted he wished he'd heeded 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 premier batter could aid them recover from a self-inflicted hole.

This may not require a hundred should there be quick-fire match unfolds, but Root’s lack of a century on Australian soil remains a talking point. “I didn't get time to dwell on it,” was his humble reply when asked if the stat weighed on him in Perth.

Team Selection and Chance for History

The England squad trained intensely over the weekend, with hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are vital for England’s preparations, conducted in evening conditions.

Mark Wood’s absence with a sore knee opens up a spot in the lineup, with Jacks practicing among the batsmen suggests he might be the frontrunner. His off-breaks are decent, and additional scoring at number eight might offset any bowling leaks.

That said, seamer Tongue was with the reserves in Canberra and is still in the mix if England opt for an all-pace attack, and spinner Bashir was included previously. Plenty to consider, then, at a venue where England 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 at this ground.”