Zak Crawley and Joe Root have put together the sort of sensible partnership that England were lacking in their defeat in Perth. That may or may not be with a view to batting through the daylight hours and making the most of bowling under lights, or simply in response to a second-innings collapse that went a long way to costing the tourists the Ashes opener.

Simon Burnton has taken a deep dive into day-night Tests and why they loom as the future even as parts of the cricket fraternity – including Root – push back against their introduction to the five-day format, while also considering the impact of the pink ball.

But there is an inherent problem with a pink ball: around sunset the higher-frequency wavelengths of light become scattered and for a short time red light becomes dominant. This is why the sun, having appeared yellow all day, often looks orange or red as it sets. A number of academic studies have identified a change in the pink ball’s contrast polarity – the relationship between an object and its background – during this period. With all the red light around it becomes harder to see. The pink Kookaburra also swings more than their red version while new, so put a fresh one in the hands of a skilled seamer at the right time of day and havoc can ensue – particularly at the Gabba, where Brisbane’s humidity already helps swing bowlers.