Didn't feel any pressure, just wanted to play: Travis Head

Travis Head has eased his way into this World Cup. Only three weeks ago, in Australia opening fixture of this tournament in Chennai, the skipper Par Cummins had said that Head is on a couch in Adelaide. He joined Australia’s World Cup squad only a week ago, at the back of no cricket for the past six weeks. The hand injury he suffered in Centurion during the ODI series in South Africa meant he was out of practice for more than a month. 

The Australian selectors had trusted Head to deliver in this World Cup. They took the gamble of going with 14 players for half of the tournament. It also cost them a second specialist spinner and made them rely on Glenn Maxwell for those duties. For a system that works strictly on efficiency, the Australian team made quite a few adjustments to accommodate the left-handed batter. 

And Head simply got up from his couch, picked his bat and smashed a hundred on his World Cup debut. Well, not exactly that. He must have had a few net sessions before walking in to open on a Saturday morning (October 28) in Dharamsala. 

He struck the leather cleanly from his third when he pounded the ball over mid-off for his first boundary. Two balls later, he had two sixes. He hammered 109 off 67 balls. While on the outside, his position seemed to be weighed by expectations, Head felt no pressure. 

“No, I didn't feel any pressure,” Head said about no nerves ahead of his comeback to international cricket at this stage. 

“I understood a lot of things had to go right, personally and with the team. So, I didn't really feel the pressure today. I just wanted to come out and play and contribute. So, whether that be tonight, whether that be against England or in the last two games.

“At some stage, you want to step up. It's nice to do it straight away. And then hopefully I can roll onto that into the next three and then hopefully finals.

“Nice to get a feel out the middle at the start and then I just loved getting into the contest today and felt like that was always going to happen,” Head answered in the post-match presser. 

Head and David Warner added 175 runs for the first wicket in less than 20 overs. Warner scored 81 off 65 deliveries and was the first one to get out. Between January 2022 until the start of the World Cup, Warner and Head had added 654 runs as an opening pair, averaging 93.4 at a strike rate of 127.

“We've been pretty aggressive. I think you still got to give yourself the best chance. It was nice to get the free hits in a row myself to get me sort of away.

“I felt like I've said it for a few months. I think Davey's the same. If the runs are going to be presented, we're going to try and take them. We're going to try and be positive and get nice to come off, nice to set a platform and get 390,” Head enunciated. 

Having won four in a row to put their campaign on track, this is Australia’s first win over the three sides that have consistently occupied the top three spots on the points table. They lost badly to India and South Africa. 

With this knock, Head has vindicated the trust shown in him. Him striking the ball right away is a pleasant development for Australia’s growing campaign. Mitchell Marsh was blowing hot and cold as David Warner’s opening partner. 

With his penchant for hitting the ball hard, Head can do for Australia what Jason Roy did for England in the 2019 World Cup by consistently feeding quick starts and putting the team ahead of the rate. The fact that the new ball has not swung a lot in this tournament elevates his chances of success, giving Australia’s top order a scarier look. 

It is a grand comeback from Head. More of an announcement if you look at it.