Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25: Travis Head has 240 runs from two games while second highest run-getter has only 72 runs. Is Australia batting over-dependent on Head?
During the second fixture of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 at the Adelaide Oval, India extended their collection of painful memories with Travis Head. Even though Marnus Labuschagne cracked 64 runs, the ease and dominance of Head made the touring side clueless in the middle.
Australia were under a little pressure when the left-handed batter walked out in the first session of the second day. They had just lost their veteran Steven Smith, besides seeing the back of overnight opener Nathan McSweeney. Both of those wickets went to Jasprit Bumrah, who was aiming to go through the batting line-up of the home side.
Travis Head continues ‘India-affinity’
The third ball of the 41st over, the second for Head, whizzed past the outside edge of the batter. Others would have looked to settle in what was expected to be the last over for Bumrah in that spell. However, Travis Head had no fear. He leaned forward to drive the pitched-up delivery into the gap between mid-off and extra cover for a boundary. The field opened up slightly to offer him a few easy singles and doubles.
On the fourth ball of Ravichandran Ashwin’s opening over, the homeboy went forward and smashed it down the ground for a six. Suddenly, the pressure went off the shoulder of Labuschagne, who began to score runs more comfortably. Head bent down on his knees to sweep the Tamil Nadu spinner for a six. The 30-year-old celebrated his half-century in 63 deliveries, with the last 40 runs coming in 39 balls.
The shot of the Test came when he stood and produced a back-foot square drive through the point area for a four against Harshit Rana. Out of the blue, he moved into the 90s. The vice-captain of Australia tapped R Ashwin into the leg side to reach his eighth Test century, second against India. The next 50 runs came in 48 deliveries. He raised his arms before displaying an updated celebration to acknowledge his new-born son.
Travis Head finished with 140 runs in 141 balls, shouldering on 17 boundaries and four sixes. This knock came on the back of his 89 runs in 101 balls during the second innings of Perth, where the rest managed 125 runs. He is now the leading run-getter of the series with 240 runs at an average of 80. The second-best for Australia in the list is Alex Carey with 72 runs in three innings.
Since Jan 2023, the left-handed batter has grilled 656 Test runs at an average of over 65 against India. These runs have come at an aggressive strike rate of 82.20. The next best for the WTC 2021-23 champions is Usman Khawaja, with 380 runs at an average of 31.66.
Read More: AUS vs IND, 2nd Test, Day 2: India in disarray at 128-5, after Head’s 140 puts Australia in control
Scalping Travis Head early is the keyÂ
The numbers have painted the picture of Australia’s over-dependence on Travis Head. The situation could be advantageous for India. However, it doesn’t mean that they would stop focusing on dismissing other batters. But they need to be a little more cautious against the Adelaide-born. One of the vital aspects of the entire scenario is to look to get his wicket early before he gets set.
Players like Head are always giving the opposition one or two chances. The opponent side just needs to seal those moments. At 76, he did top-edge a slog sweep. However, Mohammed Siraj, running backward, dropped it in the region between mid-on and long-on. He went on to make 70 more runs in 48 balls from there on.
The South Australia player was lucky not to face Bumrah early in the day. When he arrived in the crease, the Gujarat bowler bowled just five balls of the spell at him. Rohit Sharma might have missed the trick by not bringing the premier pacer back before the break for a two-over spell.
It’s also very important for other pacers not to rely only on Bumrah and step up. Harshit Rana gave away two singles and a three in his second over of the day. Ashwin gave away only one single in the 50th over, but Rana leaked four boundaries in the next six deliveries.
If the Blue Brigade can dry up the runs from the other end, then the pressure will be on Head. That could force him to go for an aggressive shot, regardless of the requirement. That will be the opportunity for the two-time WTC runners-up to get the batter dismissed.
Rather than waiting for Head to make a mistake, it will be essential for them in pushing him to take a wrong step. That’s where Rohit will have to be meticulous with his plans. Head has struggled against the short ball early in his innings, but India hardly went with the plan. That’s the mistake they made during the final of the WTC 2021-23 when the Australia batter blasted 163 runs off 174 balls.
The focus now shifts to Brisbane. The veteran has notched up 352 Test runs at the Gabba at an average of 50.29. But the positive sign for India is that he has managed three golden ducks in the last three Test innings at the venue. The qualification for the WTC 2023-25 final is on the line. Australia roared back with better plans in Adelaide. Now, it’s time for India to turn the table.
Read More: BGT 2024-25: Ahead of Gabba Test, recalibration of top 6 need of the hour for India
