The whys and whats of day-night Tests as England play pink-ball wizards
The ball will be different for the second Ashes Test and England will hope the result is, too.After capitulating against the red Kookaburra in Perth in the series opener, Ben Stokes' side now play Australia in a pink-ball game at The Gabba in Brisbane from Thursday.
Ahead of that clash, which starts at 4am UK time, we look at the key questions regarding day-night Tests and why the stats suggest England have their work cut out…
What is the point of day-night Test cricket?The idea is, or was, to attract bigger crowds to the longest form of the game, principally in places where the numbers have dwindled.
Whether a Test in an Ashes - hardly a series lacking in gravitas - needs a pink-ball game is fair to debate, with England's Joe Root saying it doesn't.
Sky Sports' Michael Atherton is not a fan either, although accepts the day-nighter has become a key part of Australia's summers.
This fixture does add another dollop of intrigue to an already headline-making contest and it is a game England could really do with winning after their implosion in Perth left them 1-0 down in the five-match series.
How have England done in pink-ball Tests?Not great.They won their first (beating West Indies by an innings and 209 runs at Edgbaston in August 2017 after taking 19 wickets on day three) and their most recent (beating New Zealand by 267 runs at Tauranga in February 2023) but in between those thumping wins they suffered five straight defeats, including three against Australia.
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Ollie Robinson was bowled by Pat Cummins in the final Ashes Test of the 2021/22 series in Hobart as the hosts secured a 4-0 series win
England were hammered in Adelaide in 2017 and 2021, while in their final game of the previous away Ashes series four years ago they went down by 146 runs in Hobart - the defeat sealed when Ollie Robinson was bowled by Pat Cummins having backed away so far to the leg-side that he was barely on the cut strip.England's other two pink-ball pummellings came against India in Ahmedabad in February 2021 (picked a seam-heavy attack and lost 19 wickets to spin to lose inside two days) and versus New Zealand in Auckland in March 2018 when an innings thrashing included being bundled out for 58 in their first dig. At one point, they were 27-9.What about Australia in day-nighters?
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Australis skittled West Indies for 27 in their last day-night Test, in Jamaica in July
These guys are pink-ball wizards. Australia have won 13 of their 14 day-night Tests, with the only blemish at home to West Indies in January 2024 when they were humbled by Shamar Joseph. The fact that Aussie defeat came at The Gabba - where this Ashes pink-baller is being played - could give England a crumb of comfort.However, with Australia far more experienced in this format, and England having not played a pink-ball Test in three years, home batter Marnus Labuschagne feels his side probably have the edge.Labuschagne, who averages 63.86 in day-nighters, said: "It's become something that Australia have been very good at. We've learned over time the different moments of the game and how to play them. Hopefully that can be an advantage for us in this game."How do the conditions impact the cricket?
Passages of pink-ball Tests can be bowler-dominated with the ball often zipping around under lights and in that twilight period (when the floodlights take over from the natural light).With this game in Brisbane starting at 2pm local time, the sun will set in the second session, providing a pretty much half-and-half split between day and night."Win the toss and bat" is former England seamer Stuart Broad's advice, allowing for the best conditions before the bowlers take over later on, with Sky Sports pundit Michael Atherton saying he wouldn't be surprised if pinch hitters were used in strong batting conditions.Travis Head opened for Australia in their second innings in Perth, slamming a 69-ball hundred - the second fastest in Ashes history - before ending up with 123 from 83 deliveries, an innings that contained 16 fours and four sixes.Australia must be tempted to stick Head up top again, especially in a game where quick runs could be crucial.Which players have starred in pink-ball Tests?
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Australia's Mitchell Starc has claimed a leading 81 wickets in day-nighters
Australia left-arm quick Mitchell Starc is the kingpin when it comes to pink-ball Tests with 81 wickets in 14 games at an average of 17.08, including 6-9 in 7.3 overs in his previous day-night outing in the Caribbean in July as West Indies were torpedoed for 27.Labuschagne said of Starc: "Is he the best pink-ball bowler in the world? I think the stats probably say that. I think it's a combination of being a left-hander, swinging it at high pace and swinging it late that makes him so dangerous. Combine that with the pink ball, which swings later and more inconsistently, and it is hard to line-up."Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon has the joint second-most wickets in pink-ball Tests - his 43 scalps matched by the still absent Pat Cummins - so will that stat convince England to play a spinner after selecting an all-seam frontline attack in Perth?Shoaib Bashir or all-rounder Will Jacks are the slow-bowling options and Jacks' selection would also bolster the lower-order batting.The leading run-scorer in pink-ball Tests is Labuschagne with 958 in nine games including four hundreds and four fifties. Team-mate Steve Smith has 815 in 13 matches, while Head is fourth on the list with 719 in 10, behind the now-retired David Warner (753 in nine). Root is England's highest pink-ball run-scorer (501 in seven games).
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Marnus Labuschagne has scored over 900 runs in day-night Tests
Is lunch taken? What about tea?The structure of the sessions will remain the same as a normal Test match with a 40-minute interval after the first two hours and then a 20-minute break after a further two hours. The only difference is that rather than lunch and tea the pauses will be dinner and tea.Finally, what has Steve Smith been wearing under his eyes?Ah, you've noticed the 'eye blacks'.
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Australia's Steve Smith has worn 'eye blacks' in training ahead of the pink-ball Ashes Test
Those strips, which Smith has batted with in the nets ahead of this game, are designed to reduce glare.Former West Indies batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul wore them regularly during his playing days, while Smith has tried them out ahead of potentially batting under lights in Brisbane.Speaking to the media, Labuschagne said of Smith trialling the 'eye blacks': "There must be sort of science or theory around it."I look at it either way: if there is a science behind it or whether it is a placebo. If it feels like it works, both ways, it works."I would love nothing more than to see him stroll out with the Shivnarines and smack them around everywhere."Ashes series in Australia 2025-26All times UK and IrelandFirst Test (Perth - November 21-25): Australia beat England by eight wicketsSecond Test (day/night): Thursday December 4 - Monday December 8 (4am) - The Gabba, BrisbaneThird Test: Wednesday December 17 - Sunday December 21 (11.30pm) - Adelaide OvalFourth Test: Thursday December 25 - Monday December 29 (11.30pm) - Melbourne Cricket GroundFifth Test: Sunday January 4 - Thursday January 8 (11.30pm) - Sydney Cricket Ground
