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With his tally of 528 runs and still batting on 91 runs in the first innings of the Sydney Test against England, Australian batsman Travis Head currently sits atop the highest run-getters list in this Ashes. Head, who was unbeaten on 91 runs at the end of the second day’s play at Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday, surpassed David Warner’s tally of 532 runs in 2013-14 Ashes to be placed fifth in the highest run-getters list in Ashes this century. Steve Smith (774 runs in 2019 Ashes and 687 runs in 2017-2018 Ashes), Ricky Ponting (576 runs in 2006-07) and Michael Hussey (570 runs in 2010-2011) are the only other batsmen ahead of Head in that list and England batsman Joe Root has showed his praise on the Australian batsman.
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“The way that he can score off the top of the stumps on both sides of the wicket, he makes your margins very small. He’s got such incredible hand-eye coordination. He is always looking to throw punches back in his own way, and he’s got a very clear method of how he wants to do it and trusts it. He’s got a really good understanding of his game, and he’s playing exceptionally well at the minute,” Root told reporters at stumps.
Head, who had made his Test debut against Pakistan in 2018, had scored a total of 4000 runs in 64 Tests at an average of 42.71 prior to the Sydney Test. In the Ashes this season, Head has scored two hundreds and one half-century so far and is nearing his 12th Test hundred of his career. The 32-year-old batted at a strike rate of 104.59 on Monday and faced 87 balls during his unbeaten knock of 91 runs. Head smashed 15 boundaries during his knock and so far hit 60 boundaries and eight sixes in the series. Former Australian captain Mark Waugh lauded Head’s attacking batting display. “He has batted beautifully. He has put the loose ball away so well. It has been great attacking batting, albeit off some mediocre bowling. The bowling has been poor.” Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
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Former Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist termed Head’s way of batting as the one dominating England. “Travball is well and truly dominating England,” Gilchrist said on Kayo Sports.
Meanwhile, Australian opener Jake Weatherald fell LBW to England Ben Stokes at an individual score of 21 runs on Monday. The 31-year-old has so far scored a total of 167 runs in nine innings at an average of 20.87 this series and Waugh believed that the opener needs to score runs in the second innings to keep his place in the Australian Test squad. “He (Jack Weatherald) needs to make runs in the second innings. He played well for his 70 (in Brisbane), but the rest of his output hasn’t been great. He seems to have lost a bit of confidence. At this stage, he hasn’t convinced me he’s a long-term Test player. But if he’s got runs in the second innings, fair play to him, he holds his spot.” Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
