EXPLOSIVE HEAD

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue- Adelaide Oval, Adelaide [December 6-8, 2024].

The pink ball test is one of the bravest moves of modern times to keep test cricket alive. Barring England, every country was struggling to attract crowds for a five-day test match. As a result, numerous cricketing boards have decided to organize day-night test matches so that we can get the audience back into the stadium. The most amazing part of a day-night test match is that instead of the traditional red cherry, the day-night test is played with a pink ball, which is bowler-friendly. As a result, if anyone scores a ton in a pink ball test, the same is remembered for a long time.

Travis Head played one such knock in one of the toughest situations. India toured Australia in the summer of 2024-25 to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Moreover, they won the first test comfortably, which pushed Australia to the walls. The press was screaming like anything, and one more defeat would have meant game over for the Aussies. 

Indian Captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first. The decision turned out to be a disastrous one, as opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed on the first ball of the match. KL Rahul and Shubman Gill stitched a partnership of 69 runs for the second wicket, which did bring visitors back into the game. However, post Rahul's dismissal, the Aussies kept on chipping wickets at regular intervals as Indians were bowled out for just 180 runs in their first innings. Mitchell Starc picked up 6 wickets as no Indian batsman managed to get past the 50-run mark.

Interestingly, even the Aussies were struggling to bat, as they too were reeling at 103/3 when Travis Head joined Marnus Labuschagne in between. The game was on a knife-edge. This is when local lad Head played one of the most destructive knocks one has ever seen. Travis Head scored a quickfire 140 off just 141 deliveries and broke the spine of the Indian bowling attack. Whoever came to bowl met with the same fate. In an innings which lasted for around 3 hours, he smashed 17 boundaries and 4 massive sixes. It was power hitting of the top order. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 337 runs, as they managed to get a big 157-run lead in the first innings. Though Bumrah and Siraj did take 4 wickets each, the Aussies were successful in getting a match-winning first-innings score.

In response the Indians were bowled out for just 175 in their second innings. Captain Pat Cummins picked up 5 wickets as the Aussies needed just 19 runs to win the match. The hosts won the match by 10 wickets and thus levelled the series 1-1. However, the same could not have been possible without the explosive innings of Travis Head, which turned out to be the sole difference between the two equally balanced sides. 

To watch the Innings of Travis Head, Click Here.

To watch the Spell of Mitchell Starc, Click Here.

To watch the Spell of Pat Cummins, Click Here.