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England paceman Jimmy Anderson says he's studied Adelaide's day-night Test matches in a bid to unlock the secret of pink ball bowling.

In the middle of a cold English winter's night, an ageing Pom curled up to watch some cricket in Adelaide.

The Englishman with grey-tinged hair was intrigued as Australia's Josh Hazlewood produced a scarcely-believable spell of fast bowling in Adelaide's day-night Test.

Jimmy Anderson was making mental notes as Hazlewood took 5-8 to help skittle India's vaunted batting line-up for 36 in Adelaide last December.

England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker was already prepping, a year ahead, for Adelaide's day-night Ashes Test which starts Thursday.

"I have watched most of the pink ball Tests here," Anderson told reporters at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.

"Whether it was actually being here or middle of the night back home, just to try and get an idea of how I should be bowling in these conditions and see if I can pick up anything from anyone.

"So yeah, it (Hazlewood) was certainly a spell I watched.

"And hopefully I can do something similar, but we will see."

Anderson, 39, is expected to play his 167th Test match, and fifth in Adelaide, on Thursday.

"Probably more crushing defeats than good times," Anderson said of Adelaide Oval.

"But I think it's my favourite ground outside the UK."

Anderson first Adelaide Test was in 2006 when Shane Warne's last-day bowling heroics set-up a dramatic Australian win sealed by a Mike Hussey cover drive.

Four years later, Anderson took six wickets in the Adelaide Test as a Kevin Pietersen double-century propelled the Poms to victory.

But in 2013, Anderson was among the victims of Mitchell Johnson's fabled firestorm of a spell, taking 7-40.

And in 2017, Anderson, despite taking six wickets in the first day-night Ashes Test, was again on the losing side - but learning lots about the pink ball.

"I had success with it last time here," he said.

"But obviously it is quite temperamental still.

"It's not a given that it's going to swing around corners or seam or anything like that.

"It's generally a good pitch here. When the pitch is good, if the sun's out, then it won't do a great deal.

"There might be times during the game with twilight or when it gets dark under lights it might do a little bit more.

"It's trying to take advantage of those times when it when it does do a little bit."