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Mitchell Starc's pink-ball skills are the best in world cricket, but even he is a traditionalist who doesn't want it to kill off the red.

Mitchell Starc is a traditionalist who doesn't want to see the pink ball overtake the red, but his and Australia's Test record under lights suggest otherwise.

Undefeated in six day-night Tests, Australia used the lights to their advantage on Friday night with five wickets before finishing off New Zealand on Saturday for 166 in Perth.

The day-night game has evolved significantly since the pink ball's first appearance four years ago in a Test.

Once it was about whether to bat first or when to declare. Now, it seems Australia have made it about ensuring you bat long into any given day and controlling your own fate.

That was clear when they batted for time during Friday's second session, putting survival ahead of runs in their first innings of 416 to make sure they had a new ball under lights.

"If you look at that tactically, from red ball to pink ball, it's very different," Starc said.

"Certainly, we batted a bit slow during that middle session.

"But the plan was to try and get as close to the evening session with a brand-new ball as we could."

Australia have played three more day-night Tests than any other team, and it shows.

The main criticism of day-night Tests are that they create unfair shifts in the game.

The Aussies would no doubt argue the good teams control that timing.

"That was certainly pink-ball tactics to try and utilise the brand-new pink ball under lights," Starc said.

"Like we saw with Tim (Southee) last night, moving it around and getting some late swing.

"It's probably justified when you take five wickets in the last session."

Australia's bowlers benefit, too, from their experience under lights.

Starc has taken 38 wickets in seven day-night Tests, nine more than any other player. His 5-52 in Perth was his third five-wicket haul with a pink ball.

He's claimed it suits him because it behaves somewhat like the white ball, but he's also learned what changes to make to make to his length.

"It might change tactically, depending on the hardness of the ball," Starc said.

"We still find the ball going soft on the harder wickets at a certain point, perhaps a little bit sooner than the red ball.

"You might bowl a fraction fuller or attack a little more in the evening sessions when it's swinging a bit more.

"Your lengths perhaps change at certain times of the day. But perhaps, no different to how you might change your lengths with the red ball.

"I think red ball or pink ball, you just have to adapt to the conditions out there, whether it's day or evening, whether it's new or old or it's soft or hard."

Not that he wants to see every Test played with pink.

"Don't overdo it," he said.

"It's great for cricket but I'm still a traditionalist at heart, so don't take away too many from the red-ball game."