Australia batter Travis Head is ready to open the batting in place of regular opener David Warner in the upcoming third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match against India in Indore. Warner, who missed participating in a majority of the second Test in Delhi due to a concussion injury, has been ruled out of the remainder of series due to an elbow fracture.
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Shockingly dropped from the Playing XI in the first Test in Nagpur, Head was made to open in the second innings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Not only their highest run-scorer in that innings but also the most fluent batter, Head had scored a stroke-filled 43 (46) comprising six fours and a six.
In what was only the first instance of Head opening the batting in his 34-match Test career, he has been there and done that especially in ODIs. Head, who has registered three centuries and six half-centuries at an average and strike rate of 51.27 and 106.58 respectively across 18 ODI innings as an opener, had once opened once in a T20I as well.
“I’ve done it [opening the batting] a lot in one-day cricket. So, I guess, especially here [India], probably the one place it might be close to one-day cricket as it could be. It’s only going to swing for a few overs and then batting is normally at its best,” Head expressed ease with respect to opening in the third match in a video posted by cricket.com.au.
Travis Head more than happy to grab David Warner’s opening spot in Indore Test
If truth be told, Head sounded like a man desperate to perform for his country irrespective of his batting position. Been part of “robust conversations” with the selectors after facing the axe once earlier this month, Head seems adamant to not let such a situation arise again in his Test career.
“Honestly, after missing out in the first Test, I will bat anywhere that the team needed me to get a game. I didn’t come here expecting to be opening the batting last innings, but, whether it’s opening the batting or batting at five, I’ve got to find a way at both of them. So, I’ll put my head down, stick my butt out, and try to do the best I can for the team,” Head added.
Travis Head’s Test record in Asia
Head, whose last Test was his first one in India, is yet to dominate in this format in Asia. In eight Tests in the sub-continent in the last half-a-decade or so, Head has only managed 268 runs at an average of 22.33 with a lone half-century against Pakistan coming way back in his first outing.
