It took just six deliveries for Mitchell Starc to work his magic with the pink ball. The dismissal of Ben Duckett in the first over in Brisbane was the left-arm quick’s 82nd wicket in his 15th day-night Test. Starc would take another seven scalps in the second Ashes Test, as Australia romped to an eight-wicket victory at the Gabba. England’s belated resistance to begin day four ensured the hosts’ triumph was sealed under lights during the third session – when maximum eyeballs, for better or worse, would be locked onto the clash both locally and on the other side of the globe.
England might be out to save Test cricket, or to at least reignite interest in it in their homeland. But Australia’s embrace of a shift in the timing of the most traditional format – and the throwback to the tactics and tension of Test cricket that it brings – suggest that the one-time nocturnal novelty can have a longer-lasting impact on the game than any overhyped strategy ever will.
