How does India solve a problem like Travis Head? He has been the nemesis for them across formats in the last 18 months. A hundred in the World Test Championship Final followed by another match-changing ton in the final of the World Cup in 2023. It does not end there. (Full Coverage | More Cricket News)rbet
A match-defining century at a crucial juncture in the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide and another game-changing triple-digit score in the ongoing Gabba Test in Brisbane. Head has given India nightmares and been their biggest obstacle in the Australian batting line-up.
Head – smashing India in Test cricketHead has an aggregate of 1107 runs in just 13 Tests against India at an average of 52.71 with three hundreds and four fifties. Only Joe Root has scored more runs in the format against India since the 6th of December, 2018 (Head’s maiden encounter against them).
Not only has he piled on the big runs against the Indians but also done so at a rapid rate making him a doubly dangerous batter – Head has a strike rate of 66.28 against them. His nine 40-plus scores against India come at a collective strike rate of 78.9!
For a batter of his disposition who takes certain risks with his attacking stroke-play, Head has also been very consistent against India failing in only eight of 22 innings (Failure Rate – 36.4%).
A week back, Vinesh scripted history at the Paris Olympics by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final.
Another quality which stands out for Head is the timing of his performances. He has raised his game in the big matches and also scored big when the chips have been down for Australia, showcasing great mental strength and temperament.
While he had played a few good knocks against the Indians starting from the gritty 72 back in his first encounter against them in Adelaide in 2018, Head really expressed himself in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) at The Oval in June last year.
He walked out to bat with Australia in a spot of bother at 76/3 and counter-attacked unleashing his blistering stroke-play on the Indian attack. Head dominated the match-changing 285-run stand with Steven Smith, hammering 163 off just 174 deliveries – an innings characterised by 25 fours and one six!
He targeted the best Indian bowler in the XI – Mohammed Shami – and smashed him for 58 off just 52 deliveries at a rate of 111.5 – the rest is history!
Head was the lone warrior in Australia’s second innings in the loss at Perth, where he scored 89 off 101 deliveries. He then came out to bat at 103/3 in the first innings in Adelaide and thwarted any plans of an Indian fightback, again counter-attacking in quintessential Head style and piling on a magnificent 140 off just 141 deliveries.
He nullified the biggest potential threat to him in the match by a counter-assault – Head attacked R Ashwin in the very first over of their match-up, smashing him for a six over mid-off. He took him for 40 runs in 57 deliveries which included three sixes.
India seemed to have run out of plans by the time they reached the Gabba. They tested Head with the short-pitched stuff but the swashbuckling left-hander had a counter to that too. He played the upper-cut and the pull keeping the Indian pacers at bay.
IND Vs AUS, 3rd Test: Steve Smith Lauds Travis Head's 'Beautiful' Batting Display Against On Day 2 Against IndiaIndia bowled seven short-pitched deliveries to Head in Brisbane but he looked at ease with a Control Percentage of 100%, also getting two boundaries. Incidentally, Head has an average of close to 56 and strike rate of 86 against the bouncer in Test cricket.
Head continued his assault on the Indian bowlers and once again rescued Australia from a precarious 75 for 3 to a potentially match-winning total of 445. The main characteristic of his majestic 152 was again the rate at which he scored his runs – off just 160 deliveries – striking at 95!
vegas live slotsHe hit 18 boundaries but also placed the ball in the gaps and rotated the strike brilliantly – this point is well illustrated by the mere 4.4% of balls he left alone!
There are some other interesting traits to Head and how he has batted in the current series against India. He has taken more runs off good length deliveries than any other batter at an average of in excess of 80 and strike rate of close to 75! He is the quickest in the world from the 60th to the 80th over since 2021 scoring his runs at a rate of 87 in this period of play!
Three big hundreds, an eighty and a ninety in his last seven innings in Tests against India – Head has taken a liking to their attack and is giving nightmares to Rohit Sharma and company.
Hundred in World Cup FinalHead’s exploits against India do not stop in Test cricket. He has an aggregate of 345 runs in nine ODIs against them at an average of 43.1 and strike rate of 101.76. Head’s highest impact knock against India came on the biggest stage of them all – in the flagship 50-over tournament – the 2023 World Cup.
He hammered a stunning 137 off just 120 deliveries in the final against the hosts in front of more than 1 lakh passionate and vociferous fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Once again, the left-hander came out to bat with his team in early trouble at 47/3 in the run-chase and then single-handedly took them to victory with a counter-assault for the ages!
Head has already produced two hundreds against India in two ICC world tournament finals and has already smashed two other tons in back to back matches of what is unarguably the most sought-after bilateral Test series of the new millennium.Travis is indeed a real ‘Head’-ache for India.rbet
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