‘Always Love Batting with Steve’: Travis Head Opens Up After Scitillating Hundred Against India on WTC Final Day 1

Australia batter Travis Head highlighted the opening day of the World Test Championship (WTC) with a scintillating hundred that kept the Australian batters at bay. At stumps, Australia posted 327 for 3 on the back of an unbeaten 251-run stand between Head and vice-captain Steve Smith for the fourth wicket.

Head walked out to bat after Shami cleaned up Marnus Labuschange for 26, reducing Australia to 76 for 3. As the overcast skies made way for bright sunshine, Head and Smith launched an assault on the Indian attack and continued till the end of the day. It was Head’s first century away from home and sixth overall which made him the first batter to score a ton in the history of WTC Finals.

After the conclusion of the first day’s play, Head spoke to the broadcasters and opened up on his innings. He said he enjoyed his time out there at the Oval and the partnership with Steve Smith.

“Making sure I am in a really good position, I felt like today I was for most of my innings. I was tested, and there were moments I thought they were going to come with plans. Trying to be adjustable on the job, work through and negate those periods and stay relaxed at the same time,” said Travis Head.

“It’s nice when you have got a bloke at the other end playing as well as he is. I always love batting with Steve, I always feel I go under the radar because there are so many plans bowling to him. You say second fiddle, but I feel like I am doing that to him,” he added.

Head single-handedly change the course of the game with his aggressive approach. When the Indian pacers targeted his pads, the southpaw used his quick wrists to flick them away and anything short and wide on the off side was also duly dispatched.

He brought up his fifty with a back-foot punch off Shardul Thakur and got more audacious in the second half of his innings. Smith, on the other hand, was happy to bide his time while Head went about his business. India tried the leg slip tactic against him before testing him around the off-stump. Both to no avail.