However, Head once again fell short of a double century. It was not the first such instance either, as this was the seventh time he has been dismissed in the 150 to 175 range without managing to push on and turn any of those into a double hundred.

Asked about his repeated near-misses with double centuries after another dominant knock in the Ashes, Head brushed aside the statistic with humour, insisting he would happily take big match-defining hundreds over worrying about personal milestones.

“Beggars can’t be choosers. It’s a pretty shit stat, isn’t it,” Head said with a laugh. “I’d much rather 160 or 170 than zero to 10. I won’t complain about that,” he said in the press conference.

“I normally put the cherry on top”

Head also crossed the 600-run mark in an Ashes series for the first time. Speaking about the weight of runs he has carried and the shift in responsibility at the top, the left-hander admitted it was satisfying to shoulder the load this time and make a telling contribution with the bat.

“It might be 600 runs now (for the series), that’s normally Smithy or Marnus. I normally put the cherry on top and come in at the back end,” he said.

“Nice to be able to pull my finger out and help on the other side.”

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Questioned about his relaxed running between the wickets during his latest knock, Head revealed there was method behind the madness, explaining that his laid-back approach was partly intentional and aimed at having a bit of fun at his teammates’ expense.

“Walking singles and running backwards and carrying on is more just to get a rev up out of our boys. Slapping one to point and walking, there’s no point in trying to charge around for two — unless you’re with Marnus,” he added.