WTC Final: Decoding Travis Head's sensational run since November 2022
Travis Head smothered a fiery century on Day 1 of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship final. The southpaw demolished the Indian bowling attack and scored runs for fun. He was aggressive in his approach as he returned unbeaten on 146 off 156 balls at the stumps. Head has truly been a menace in Test cricket lately. Here we decode his recent success.
A quick-fire century for Head
Head came to the middle after Australia were reduced to 76/3 early in the second session. He paired up with Steve Smith, taking Australia past the 150-run mark. The former kept the scoreboard ticking, having reached the 50-run mark in the 44th over with a four. Head duly punished the poor deliveries and brought up his century off 106 balls in the final session.
Head's staggering run since November 2022
Head has gone from strength to strength in the last few years. Since November 2022, he has amassed 906 runs in 14 Test innings at an average and strike rate of 82.36 and 86.28, respectively. The tally includes two tons and three fifties. Meanwhile, no other batter has scored more Test runs in this period. Among Australians, Smith trails Head with 726 runs.
Head's incredible run in WTC 2021-23
Head has enjoyed a solid run of form in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle. He has raced to 1,354 runs at 58.86 (50s: 6, 100s: 4). Only Joe Root (1915), Usman Khawaja (1608), Marnus Labuschagne (1,535), and Babar Azam (1,527) have scored more runs in this cycle. In 2022, Head scored 655 Test runs at 50.38 (100s: 2, 50s: 3).
Highest strike rate in WTC 2021-23
It must be noted that Head's strike rate of 81.91 in the 2021-23 cycle is the highest among batters with at least 500 runs. India's dashing wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant trails him in this regard with a strike rate of 80.81.
Head's first century away from home
Head now has six centuries in Test cricket. The one in the WTC final is his first away from home. One of the most consistent run-scorer of late, Head has smashed his first century against India in Test cricket. His previous-highest score against the Indian team was 90, which came in the Ahmedabad Test during the 2023 Border-Gavaskar series.
A look at his overall numbers
Playing his 37th Test, Head has raced to 2,507 runs in the format at 48.21. The 29-year-old has struck six tons and 13 fifties in Test cricket. His highest score in whites reads 175. Meanwhile, this was Head's fourth fifty-plus Test score versus India. In the Border-Gavaskar series earlier this year in India, he smashed 235 runs at 47 across six innings.
How did Day 1 pan out?
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field, considering the overcast conditions at the Kennington Oval. Mohammed Siraj dismissed Khawaja for a duck in the fourth over. David Warner (43) and Marnus Labuschagne (26) threw away their starts. Head and Smith (95*) then punished India throughout the day. The Aussies finished the day at 327/3.
