The Ashes 2025-26 The series is set to be an exciting day-night contest, with the second Test at the Gabba, Brisbane scheduled from December 4 to 8, 2025. The match pits England’s ‘baseball’ against Australia’s established dominance in pink-ball cricket. The home team’s record in day-night Tests is staggering – winning 12 of their 13 home matches before a rare defeat to the West Indies recently – especially a testament to their excellent understanding of the moving pink Kookaburra ball under floodlights.
For England, who have never won a pink-ball Test against Australia and are struggling with extra movement, this match presents a significant psychological hurdle. While the entire Australian team embraces this pink-ball style, some elite players have the right mix of skill and tactical importance to make life miserable for the English batsmen and bowlers.
3 Australian players who can dominate England in the pink ball test
1. Mitchell Starc: The magician of the pink ball
If there is any player synonymous with day and night Test success, it is him. Mitchell StarcHis left-arm pace, coupled with the added cover of the pink kookaburra, turns him into an almost unstoppable force when the lights are in full effect – period of the former England captain Joe Root Noted games may see an immediate “turn around”.
Fatal condition: Starc is the undisputed leading wicket-taker in day-night Test history, with 81 wickets in 14 matches at a sensational average of 17.08. No other bowler is close to his numbers.
Threat: The seam and lacquer of the pink ball allow Starc to find prodigious swing, often late and fast, creating a perfect outswinger for the right-handed batsman – who targets the stumps – in addition to his stock delivery. His ability to produce devastating magic late in the evening, often coinciding with the decline of natural light, is a psychological weapon that can devastate England’s top order. The memories of Starc bowling Rory Burns with the first ball in the 2021-22 Ashes day-night match will remain fresh in the minds of the English openers.
2. Steve Smith: Anchor against glare
Whereas steve smithHis career average is close to 56, his numbers in day-night Tests are surprisingly low, with only one century in 13 matches, his average is around 37.04. However, it is exactly this narrative, and his meticulous preparation for this specific challenge, that makes him a player to watch.
Fatal condition: Despite his overall pink-ball average falling short of his lofty standards, Smith remains Australia’s second-highest run-scorer in day-night Tests (815 runs). Crucially, at the Gabba, their record against the pink ball is excellent, suggesting local comfort with the venue and conditions.
Threat: Smith has openly admitted that the glare and speed of the pink ball at twilight is his biggest challenge, even experimenting with anti-glare ‘eye-black’ strips in the nets before Tests. His determination to overcome this one weakness, coupled with his technical brilliance, means that a big score is always close at hand. If he can survive the early onslaught and hold the crease during the challenging twilight sessions, his presence alone will demoralize the English attack, allowing the rest of the order to play around the best crisis-manager in the game. His resilience and hunger to perform where he has previously struggled makes him a major threat.
Also read: No Steve Smith! England legend James Anderson announces his all-time combined Ashes XI
3. Scott Boland: GABA Expert
Scott Boland Starc may not have an extensive pink-ball history, but his unique combination of pitch-whispering accuracy and phenomenal record at the Gabba makes him a lethal component of Australia’s attack under lights.
deadly state: Boland’s overall Test average of 17.66 (before this series) is typical, but his average at the Gabba is a surprising 10.20 from a significant sample size of first-class and Test cricket. He has taken 31 first-class wickets at this ground at an average of 15.90.
Threat: The pink ball, especially at a venue like the Gabba, demands laser-like accuracy to exploit a little more seam movement under the lights. Boland’s bowling is based on repeatedly hitting the right spots, applying consistent pressure and producing subtle seam movement off good lengths. While the findings showed he had a tough first innings in the last Test, his bounce-back 4/33 in the second innings demonstrated his ability to learn and adjust quickly, a key attribute in the rapidly changing conditions of day-night Tests. England’s batsmen, who like to score freely, will be given a tough test by their unyielding line and length.
Also read: AUS vs ENG, Ashes 2025-26: England reveal their playing XI for Gabba Test, no place for Mark Wood