Intrigue surrounds the Gabba pitch and how it plays under lights with with Queensland players saying the twilight period was key.
The pitch at the Gabba is the subject of much intrigue ahead of the second test, which will be the pink-ball test.
As in the recent Sheffield Shield match, Gabba curator Dave Sandurski is expected to design a pitch for the day-night second Ashes Test that will reward both batters and bowlers.
In the day-night pink-ball Shield match at the Gabba on day three, Queensland triumphed by seven wickets thanks to outstanding performances from Matt Renshaw and Xavier Bartlett.
Both players claimed that the Gabba had provided a surface that rewarded bat and ball, even if the Test pitch will be a different strip.
Bartlett scored 72 and took 4 for 35 in the second inning, while Renshaw made 114 in the first.
“Gaining an extra day to get it close to that 10-day [preparation] period makes life just that little bit more comfortable,” Sandurski told AAP. “All indications are there is a bit of heat around. The wicket will dry out a lot quicker so you’ve got to make sure you keep enough moisture in it to last five days.
“We try and make our wickets pretty much the same for four and five-day cricket. The aim is to provide a wicket where all players get a chance to perform their skills so hopefully all facets of the game come into the match.”
Rather than the surface, the two-day Test in Perth was a reflection of how Australia and England tackled their mission. “Years ago draws were acceptable but now they are not and people play more shots and can provide more chances,” Sandurski stated.
The key to success, according to Bartlett, is the middle session, which is played in the twilight under the lights. During that time on day three, he and Gurinder Sandhu extracted pace and seam from the surface.
“Just on twilight the pink ball talks a little bit more and the game goes through massive ebbs and flows,” Bartlett told AAP. “You see wickets falling in clumps. You’ve got to stay in it and make the most of that middle session.
“If the Test wicket is like the one we just played on it will be a really good cricket wicket. We got a result in three days but when you bat well you get rewarded and if you bowl well it’s the same.”