England’s hopes of levelling the Ashes in Brisbane are dependent on a pink-ball “lottery”, says former bowler Stuart Broad.
The second Test, which starts on 4 December, is a day-night match at the Gabba and follows an eight-wicket win for Australia in the first game.
It means each day starts in natural light but concludes under floodlights, and a pink ball is used rather than the traditional red ball of a Test match.
“We know the pink-ball Test, having played a few ourselves, is a bit of a lottery,” said Broad on the For The Love of Cricket podcast.
“Ultimately the best team generally wins Test matches but this one, it’s on a bit more of a knife edge of conditions.”
England have lost all three of their day-night Tests in Australia.
They were beaten by 120 runs in Adelaide in 2017, before 275-run and 146-run defeats in Adelaide and Hobart on their last tour in 2021.
“If you can get a brand new ball under the floodlights at the Gabba, you should be taking wickets and you can break the game open,” said Broad.
“It is all about timing a little bit of when you bowl with the brand new ball.
“That is why I don’t like bowling first in pink-ball cricket because you bowl with a brand new ball in daylight and it doesn’t do a lot.
“By the time you get to the twilight period the ball is 60 overs old and doesn’t do anything – and the new ball comes too late in the day.
“Winning the toss and batting is pretty crucial in the pink-ball Test in my opinion. That is my feeling in pink-ball cricket. It is going to be one hell of a challenge.”