Joe Root came to England's defence after a ragged day in the field at the Gabba, where they shelled five catches, four of them under lights in a single session. Combined with erratic lines and lengths, the lapses allowed Australia to wrest control and build what could be a vital 44-run lead in the pink-ball Test.

England don't play as many day-night Tests as Australia, and Root noted that despite extensive preparation ahead of the second Test, the conditions under lights proved hard to fully simulate.

"We worked as hard as we could in the lead-up to this, we had five days of prep and we did a huge amount of catching," Root said. "We made sure we utilised those two [training] sessions under lights well. You can't replicate that surface, the bounce, the way the nicks come. It's never going to be exactly the same, it's never going to be perfect. All you can do is give yourself the best possible chance and I think we've done that.

"In the lead-up to this game we've got used to conditions, we've got used to the heat, we've got used to the surfaces. We've caught under lights, we've caught in daylight and tried to catch in twilight as well. Sometimes they don't stick. We're not perfect, we're all human and we're going to make mistakes. It's how we respond. It's about making sure we turn up tomorrow with the right frame of mind, the right attitude, and knowing our best game of cricket is good enough to do very special things here."

England's five dropped catches according to Cricbuzz's ball-by-ball commentary:

8.2 Jofra Archer to Head, no run, edgeddd and put down! Length delivery angling in at 143kph and nipping away with bounce. Head was never comfortable with the away-going ball and was always just fending and poking at it hopping around in the crease. He gets opened up again and the ball flies off a thick outside edge. Jamie Smith reacted a bit late to the left and it was flying to the left. Got both hands to it but it deflected it between first and second slip. Jofra Archer couldn't believe that it had been dropped

56.2 Brydon Carse to Carey, no run, was that a chance? Yes, it certainly was. Brydon Carse could have had two in two. Was a short and sharp ball by Brydon Carse. Carey got surprised due to the pace and bounce. Thuds into his gloves and lobs towards gully where Duckett was stationed. He is quick to move forward and gets his fingers underneath, but the ball pops out at the last moment

63.2 Stokes to Josh Inglis, 2 runs, looks like it carried to Duckett at gully. Yes it did. Dropped again. Stokes closes his eyes in disappointment and has the collar in his mouth. He can't quite believe it. A short of length delivery outside off, Inglis cuts late and it's going to the right of Duckett who on the dive goes with an outstretched right hand, doesn't stick. Should have gone with two hands, had he done so, would have been a much easier chance. Stokes is ticking here

68.3 Jofra Archer to Neser, 1 run, dropped by Carse at cover. A short of length delivery and Neser backs away to cut, doesn't keep it down, easy catch for Carse who drops it, it lands on his right thigh and goes down, should have been taken

69.2 Atkinson to Carey, FOUR, now Root drops one at 1st slip. 5th drop from England today. Carey comes down the track and looks to loft this, thick outside-edge and Root is late to pick it up, also Jamie Smith didn't dive to his left, maybe Root was expecting him to, then he goes at it at the end, with an outstretched right hand on the dive, just about gets his fingers to that it, but parries it away to the third man fence. Stokes does well to keep his anger to himself, he was ticking there. Looking at the replays, Smith should have gone for it as it split him and Root.