Joe Root's Secret Weapon: How England's Star Battles Mitchell Starc's Pink-Ball Threat

Starc and Root have faced each other 23 times across red- and pink-ball Tests, with Starc holding the advantage in their ongoing rivalry. Root, the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket, averages just 17.36 against Starc, who has dismissed Root 10 times in Tests, including twice in last week's Ashes opener.

Mitchell Starc dismantled England in the first Test at Perth, claiming 10 wickets in the game, giving Australia a 1-0 lead. The tourists struggled to counter Starc's mastery. Notably, no bowler comes close to Starc's tally of 81 pink-ball wickets at an average of 17.08.

Joe Root acknowledged that his dismissal by Mitchell Starc in the first innings of the Perth Test came from an excellent delivery. He noted that the ball moved sharply on the lively Perth wicket and added that the same delivery likely wouldn't have carried on an English pitch, where it would have dropped short.

"I think the first innings, to be honest, it was a pretty good ball. Nipped across you from straight in. I wasn't looking to whip it through square leg or anything like that. It was just one of those things you can get on a lively wicket. In England, that probably doesn't carry, it drops short with soft hands. It's just one of the things you have to wear," Root said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

In the second innings, Root started positively but was dismissed for 8 after edging a drive onto his stumps. He admitted it was a slight misjudgment and praised Starc's skill and experience, noting that the Australian bowler has consistently performed at a high level and that England will need to find ways to counter him in the upcoming Test.

Root said, "I just made a slight error of judgement and it costs you. You could play and miss at that, or it goes between stumps and keeper and goes for four, and you never think about it again. Clearly, the more he's played, the more experience he's getting, and the more skills he's developed. He's a fine bowler and has been for a long time - and that's never changed. They've had a couple of injuries, and he's had to step up and he did that very well in the last game. Our challenge will be, can we counter that this week?"

Root described facing a left-armer in the training session as a good way to get accustomed to spotting the pink ball.

"It felt pretty good when facing it. I think it's [the black seam] actually a nice way of really focusing on the ball. Look hard at that seam and give you as many cues as you can from that point of release," Root added.

- ANI