For any Indian cricket fan, the wounds of the 2023 ODI World Cup final are still very fresh, and one Australian cricketer is responsible for it more than the remaining ten. Travis Head, the South Australian Southpaw, smashed a mesmerizing 137 off 120 balls in the final and blew India away. India’s score of 240 was easily chased down by Australia, courtesy of Head. But from a unique point of view, one thing that stood out for Head, and has been a commonality throughout many Australians in history, is the iconic moustache.
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Head has been sporting a thick brown mustache ever since his stellar comeback at the 2021-22 Ashes. The mustache has seen several iterations in Australian cricket from one player to another in different generations. The facial hair that makes them look like a macho sportsman somehow compliments their game on the field.
Not just the World Cup final, but when Head broke 1.4 billion hearts earlier this year as well after scoring 163 against the same opponent at the World Test Championship Final in England, he was sporting the very mean look. His mustache has become somewhat of a character on its own, but he isn’t the first one to earn such a distinction.
Merv Hughes, renowned for striking fear into opponent batters’ hearts, was equally proud of his thick, long mustache that flowed on both sides of his lips and below. Hughes was distinctively known for his mustachioed look, as was David Boon. It was during the Dennis Lillee, David Boon, Merv Hughes, and Alan Border era that Australia started to dominate in tests around the world, especially Ashes. And not just test cricket, Australia won their first of 6 World Cups under Border in 1987 in India.
How Mitchell Johnson Terrorized England during 2013-14 Ashes Sporting His Mustache
While many faces since the Border-Hughes-Boon era started sporting their mustache, one that immediately comes to mind in the 21st century is Mitchell Johnson during the 2013-14 Ashes. If there was ever a remarkable face designed with a horseshoe mustache that left a frightening mark in cricket, Johnson takes the cake on that. His looks were as lethal as his deliveries that had so many English batters scared for their life. No wonder, the Australian mustache is one of their glories right alongside their prized cricketers.
Johnson picked up 37 wickets and won 3 Man of the Match awards in that series, as Australia demolished England 5-0. Johnson was also the Man of the Series naturally.
While the hair around the lips is purely a psychological tactic to intimidate their opponents, Australia can proudly say that they have been more than successful in achieving that. With Travis Head continuing to sport his mustache even after the World Cup and equally contributing to his team, it is only likely that more Australian cricketers might follow the same look in the future. After all, such a strange stylistic-cum-psychological tactic is rare to come by.
