The ball will be different for the second Ashes Test and England will hope the result is, too. After collapsing to a heavy defeat on a red Kookaburra in Perth, Ben Stokes’ side now face Australia in a pink-ball day-night Test at The Gabba in Brisbane, starting Thursday (4am UK time, 2pm local).
Why day-night Tests?
The format was introduced to try to boost crowds for Test cricket by staging play partly under lights. Whether an Ashes Test needs a pink ball is debated — England captain Joe Root and pundit Michael Atherton have questioned it — but day-night matches have become a regular feature of Australian summers and add extra intrigue to the series.
England’s record in pink-ball Tests
England have struggled in this format. They won their first pink-ball Test (Edgbaston v West Indies, 2017) and their most recent (v New Zealand, Tauranga, 2023), but suffered five straight defeats between those wins, including three losses to Australia. Notable collapses include heavy defeats in Adelaide (2017, 2021) and a 146-run loss in Hobart in 2021/22. England were also trounced by India in Ahmedabad in 2021 (choosing a seam-heavy attack on a turning track) and by New Zealand in Auckland in 2018, when they were bowled out for 58 in the first innings.
Australia in day-nighters
Australia are the benchmark in pink-ball Tests: 13 wins from 14 matches. Their only loss was at home to West Indies in January 2024 (Shamar Joseph the destroyer). The Gabba hosted that upset, which may give England a sliver of comfort, but Australia’s experience in the format is a major advantage. Marnus Labuschagne averages 63.86 in day-nighters and believes the hosts’ familiarity with the game’s rhythms is an edge.
How conditions change the game
Pink-ball Tests often see bowlers come into play late in the day — the twilight period and under lights can make the ball seam and swing more. With Brisbane’s 2pm local start, play should split roughly half day, half night. Former seamer Stuart Broad advises batting first if you win the toss to exploit the best batting conditions before the light-assisted bowlers take over. Teams may also use pinch-hitters to accelerate scoring while conditions favor batters.
Key players in pink-ball cricket
– Mitchell Starc: The outstanding pink-ball bowler, Starc has 81 wickets in 14 day-night Tests at an average around 17. His left-arm pace, late swing and high speed make him particularly dangerous with the pink ball. In the Caribbean he took 6-9 as West Indies were bowled out for 27.
– Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins: Lyon has 43 pink-ball wickets (Cummins matches that tally), meaning off-spin and leadership in the attack can matter under lights.
– Marnus Labuschagne: Leading run-scorer in day-nighters with 958 runs in nine games (four hundreds, four fifties).
– Steve Smith and Travis Head: Smith has 815 pink-ball runs; Head has 719 in 10 matches and can be used aggressively at the top. Head’s 123 from 83 in Perth — including a 69-ball hundred — underlines the value of quick scoring.
– Joe Root: England’s top pink-ball run-scorer with 501 in seven games.
Selection questions for England
England used an all-seam attack in Perth. The pink-ball history of Australian spinners (Lyon) and the late movement under lights could prompt England to consider a spinner — Shoaib Bashir or all-rounder Will Jacks would be the likely options, with Jacks offering extra batting depth and hitting ability.
Match structure: lunch, tea and dinner
Session timing stays the same as a normal Test: two-hour sessions with a 40-minute interval after the first two hours and a 20-minute break after the next two. The named breaks change: instead of lunch and tea during the day, the pauses will be dinner and tea depending on the session.
The eye-black question
Steve Smith has been wearing “eye blacks” in nets ahead of the Gabba Test. The strips are used to reduce glare under lights. Labuschagne said it might be science or placebo — if it helps, it helps — and joked about Smith batting like Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Ashes schedule (UK times)
– First Test, Perth (Nov 21-25): Australia beat England by eight wickets.
– Second Test (day/night), The Gabba, Brisbane (Dec 4-8): 4am UK start.
– Third Test, Adelaide Oval (Dec 17-21): 11.30pm UK.
– Fourth Test, MCG, Melbourne (Dec 25-29): 11.30pm UK.
– Fifth Test, SCG, Sydney (Jan 4-8): 11.30pm UK.
The Gabba day-night Test offers England a chance to arrest the momentum after Perth, but the pink ball, Australian experience in the format and standout performers like Starc and Labuschagne make it a challenging assignment.