Australia’s Travis Head celebrates after scoring a century during the day two of the second cricket test match between Australia and India at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia. (AP)
Travis Head’s recent exploits are well-known. But his memories of the Boxing Day Ashes Test from 2020, where Australia were thrashed by 8 wickets and he lost his place to Will Pucovski subsequently, was a real low-point for the left hander. It’s what started the turnaround and led him to believe in going fully beserk at his County stint thereafter.
In his 33 Tests since his return, according to Australia AP, Head has player-of-the match awards in eight of his appearances, and averages 46.71 through that period with nine centuries.
In that doomed Boxing Day Test four years ago, Head scored 38 and 17 and was sidelined for Sydney thereafter. His red-ball ambitions were in tatters.
He told AAP: “I lost my (national) contract and then I went to Sussex and stunk it up there as well. I tried to keep batting the way I was batting and it wasn’t working.”
Australia’s Travis Head plays a shot during play on day five of the third cricket test between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher)
Then playing Kent at Canterbury, the match innings proved a turning point in Head’s career. “Then in one of my last games at Sussex I got 49 off 46 in the second innings and I thought, ‘F**k this, I am just going to slog’ And I did well, so I thought, ‘Why don’t I just do that?’” AAP quoted him as saying.
It was his obsession with technique that was creating a baggage. “I was worried about my technique back then,” Head added. The game at Kent filtered his mindset, and runs began flowing like water, when he realised he just needed to face more deliveries before his hitting ways took over. “My theory was if I could stay out there long enough my aggressive approach would take over, and I would score runs by being there. Now I am like, don’t worry about getting out, if you can score score. And then if you can’t score, get in good positions to not get out,” he added to AAP.
Head has since dropped down the order, relied on openers to see out the shine, and given himself tools to first give his aggro approach the time to take off or alternately “get into good positions to not get out.”
“I’m more worried about runs now than anything else,” Head said. Oppositions are more “more worried” too.
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