Travis Head punched a drive to the cover fence in front of the members and greeted the standing ovation from his beloved Adelaide Oval with a mixture of elation and relief.
He’d made a hundred of top quality, on a tricky pitch against a committed West Indian bowling attack, reviving the swashbuckling style he has made his own over the past couple of years but momentarily misplaced against Pakistan.
Travis Head celebrates his century in Adelaide.Credit: AP
By doing so, Head also capitalised on the blessings of being a Test cricketer for Australia, where the primacy of the long form is underlined by the players’ ability to manage their seasons. So it is that Head is at his best for the same matches that the likes of the West Indies and South Africa can no longer commit their best teams to.
Head’s innings gave Australia the buffer they needed before the fast men set about pushing for victory – a scenario that did not look likely when Shamar Joseph and company were slicing through the top order with seam and pace.
Though he will only seldom open the batting for Australia, Head is David Warner’s spiritual successor in the national side – and not only for the way he has taken over the role of organising golf rounds and social occasions.
Since his recall in 2021, Head has been the most dangerous counterpuncher in world cricket, a role he played most perfectly with a century in the World Cup final that humbled India and silenced Ahmedabad.
It is a highly entertaining approach for spectators, but priceless for Australia. And it does not take place without considerable thought and preparation from Head himself.
In the days between the Sydney and Adelaide Tests, Head requested and was granted some time off, meaning he was unavailable for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League. This was a rare luxury in cricket in 2024, as South Africa and the West Indies have demonstrated by picking touring sides that were denuded of enormous resources by the Twenty20 franchise circuit.
Warner’s spiritual successor Head reaps benefits of Australia’s wealth
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18.01.2024
Travis Head punched a drive to the cover fence in front of the members and greeted the standing ovation from his beloved Adelaide Oval with a mixture of elation and relief.
He’d made a hundred of top quality, on a tricky pitch against a committed West Indian bowling attack, reviving the swashbuckling style he has made his own over the past couple of years but momentarily misplaced against Pakistan.
Travis Head celebrates his century in Adelaide.Credit: AP
By doing so, Head also........
© The Sydney Morning Herald
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