Joe Root Shares Dual Feelings on Day-Night Test Cricket Before Key Ashes Clash
It's not often that an English cricketer is accused of complaining in Australia, yet when Joe Root was questioned regarding the need for pink-ball cricket in a series like the Ashes, he gave a straightforward answer.
“I personally don’t think so,” Root stated before England's net session at the Gabba. “It’s obviously highly popular and well-received in this country, and Australia boast a strong track record in these matches. You can understand why we’re playing.
“Ultimately, you know from two years out it will happen. It’s part of preparing for the series. For a series like this, does it need it? I don’t think so … but that doesn’t mean it has no place. I'm fine with it. In my opinion it’s as good as traditional Test cricket. But it's on the calendar. We’ve got to play it, and we just need to be better our opponents at it.”
Root's Record in Day-Night Tests Takes a Dip
Like his counterpart, Steve Smith, Root's usually stellar numbers see a drop in day-night games. The Yorkshire batsman has played all seven England's pink-ball matches so far, and although a century in his first outing against West Indies in 2017, his overall average above 50 falls to 38.5 in these games.
On the other hand, bowler Mitchell Starc averages 28.97 with a strike-rate around 50 in general, yet these figures improve to 17.08 and 33.3 correspondingly with the pink ball. In his last floodlit game, in Jamaica, he took six for nine as West Indies were bowled out for 27—career-best figures that he bettered by taking seven wickets for 58 in the next Test.
Deciding Duel Root vs Starc May Determine Outcome
The matchup of Root and Starc is shaping up to be one of the deciding factors in the Ashes. While Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood usually troubled him more, with them missing last week, it was Starc who got him out for a duck and eight.
Root has reflected that the first dismissal came from a fine delivery—the kind that might not carry the slips back home. His next dismissal, bowled chopping on, during England’s the team's slump, was a miscalculation on his part. “I know I’m a good player,” he stated. “I believe I will score runs again.”
England's Challenges and Preparations
Starc has adopted the wobble seam as his preferred weapon these days—he noted he should have listened to Hazlewood and Cummins advice sooner—and in humid Brisbane, swing may also come into play. England, trailing 1-0, face additional obstacles this week, and runs from their top batsman could aid them recover from their own mistakes.
This may not require a century if another rapid shootout occurs, yet Root's absence of a century on Australian soil continues to haunt him. “I didn’t have long enough to think about it,” he modestly answered when asked whether that record weighed on him during the first Test.
Team Selection and Historic Opportunity
Root and his teammates practiced hard on Sunday, with hip-hop setting the tone in the heat. Monday and Wednesday are vital for their readiness, held under lights.
Mark Wood’s absence with a sore knee has created an opening in the team, and Will Jacks netting with the main batters hints he could be the frontrunner. His off-breaks are adequate, and extra runs at number eight could balance any conceded runs.
That said, seamer Tongue has been with the Lions in Canberra and remains an option should England choose pace-heavy bowling, and spinner Bashir was included previously. Plenty to consider, indeed, at a ground where the visitors have not won a Test for decades.
“It is a chance to create history,” Root said on this fact. “It would be all the sweeter if we succeed at this ground.”