New Delhi, Nov 28 (NationPress) Former England cricketer Stuart Broad asserts that England's prospects in the Brisbane Test hinge on their ability to navigate the "lottery" presented by the pink ball.

The second match of the five-part Ashes series is set to commence on December 4, featuring a day-night format at the Gabba after Australia secured an eight-wicket victory in the opening match.

"We understand that the pink-ball Test is somewhat of a lottery, having participated in several ourselves," Broad remarked on the For The Love of Cricket podcast. "While typically, the superior team prevails in Test matches, this one leans more towards variable conditions."

England has faced defeat in all three of their previous pink-ball Tests: losing by 120 runs in Adelaide in 2017, followed by defeats of 275 runs and 146 runs during their last tour in 2021.

"If you manage to get a fresh ball under the floodlights at the Gabba, it should lead to wicket-taking opportunities and can shift the game’s momentum," Broad explained.

"The key lies in timing your bowling with the new ball. Personally, I prefer not to bowl first in pink-ball matches since you end up using a new ball in daylight when it offers limited assistance.

"By the time twilight arrives, the ball is often 60 overs old and has lost its effectiveness - and the new ball arrives too late in the day. In my view, winning the toss and choosing to bat first is crucial in pink-ball Tests. That’s my perspective on pink-ball cricket. This is certainly going to be a challenging encounter."

In contrast, Australia boasts an impressive record, having won 12 out of 13 pink-ball Tests at home, with only one loss against the West Indies at the Gabba last year. Teams batting first have triumphed six times out of eleven occasions, as the pink ball tends to favor bowlers in the evening.

"To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of pink-ball Tests," the experienced pacer admitted.

"The situation plays a significant role, so if you can manipulate gameplay to secure a new ball during twilight, you're likely to do exceptionally well as the ball seems to zip around more."

"There's something peculiar about the pink ball; it’s challenging to pick up. You receive no cues since the black seam blends with the pink background, unlike a red ball with a white seam where you might see Mitchell Starc's in-swinger coming in towards the stumps or scrambling around.

"The lights reflecting off the pink ball give it an almost planetary appearance as it approaches you. Consequently, you rely on the surface movement or judge the ball’s trajectory, but at such speed, it becomes quite difficult. This is why I believe batting first is essential; even if you're bowled out by tea as darkness descends, you’ll have a new ball under lights. If you bat well, you can dictate the game's tempo throughout the day," he added.