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Following his extraordinary batting performance on the second day of the ongoing Brisbane Test at the Gabba against India, Australian cricketer Travis Head shared insights into his thought process during the game on Sunday.
Head delivered a masterclass innings, scoring 152 runs off 160 balls, which included 18 boundaries. The left-hander achieved this at an impressive strike rate of 95. "I think every other guy's going to have different ways of going about it. For me, it's about being as positive as I can because my feet move better. I get into better positions, and my forward defence felt solid--I felt like I started really well again today. Towards the back end of the innings, I was probably a bit tired and wanted to get after it a little. With the second new ball, I could have been a bit hungrier, but at the start of the innings, I moved well and let the ball come to me. "The top order, me and Steve just spoke about it earlier--I think the top three guys did a fantastic job again. We talk about the importance of the first 30 overs in Australia; it was massive at Adelaide Oval, and it was crucial here as well. That second new ball did a lot, but it was the top three guys who set the platform for us to walk out in the 30th over," Head said while speaking to Star Sports. The southpaw also elaborated on his mindset during the innings. "I'm just looking to score. If the game presents an opportunity to score runs, I want to score runs. I've been doing that for a few years now. As I've said before, it's a tough, brutal game, and I'm not in it for milestones. It's great to tick off a few over the past couple of weeks, but my priority is to play well for the boys in the dressing room. I love the group, I love what I do, and I just try to do what the team needs from me," the 30-year-old added. Head's phenomenal knock made him the first batter to record both a King Pair and a century at the same venue within the same calendar year. His dominance against India is further highlighted by his remarkable stats. Head's flawless 152 pushed his Test tally against India past 1,000 runs. In 13 Tests and 22 innings, he has scored 1,107 runs at an average of 52.71, with three centuries and four fifties. Across all formats, in 30 matches against India, Head has amassed 1,707 runs at an average of 47.41, including four centuries and six fifties. Head's performances against India have been exceptional. He has scored centuries in the ICC World Test Championship final, the ICC Cricket World Cup final 2023, and the series-levelling pink-ball Test in Adelaide, showcasing his knack for delivering under pressure. In his last 11 innings against India, starting from the WTC final to this Test, Head has scored 880 runs at an average of 80, including four centuries and two fifties, with a top score of 163. As for the ongoing match, India won the toss and elected to bowl first. After a wicketless 13 overs on day one, India returned on day two with renewed energy, dismissing Usman Khawaja (21 off 54 balls, three fours), Nathan McSweeney (9), and Marnus Labuschagne (12) to reduce Australia to 75/3. However, a massive 241-run partnership between Steve Smith (101 off 190 balls, 12 fours) and Head (152 off 160 balls, 18 fours) posed significant challenges for India. Jasprit Bumrah (5/72) eventually broke the stand, sparking a flurry of wickets, but Australia ended the day in a commanding position at 405/7, with Alex Carey (45*) and Mitchell Starc (7*) unbeaten. (ANI)
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