Jake Weatherald opens up on his Test debut and why innings two was more comfortable
After a brief and run-less first dig, Jake Weatherald reveals walking out to bat alongside Travis Head gave him the confidence and composure to find himself after the chaos of his first innings.
England players gently sledged Marnus Labuschagne for not taking the first ball of Australia’s innings and instead subjecting debutant opener Jake Weatherald to the might of Jofra Archer.
Though Weatherald would not blame Labuschagne for contributing to the left-hander’s second ball duck, Weatherald said he drew confidence from Travis Head’s freewheeling approach down the other end in the second innings.
The comments will provide food for thought for Australia’s selectors as they contemplate whether to retain the makeshift combination for the second Test in Brisbane.
READ MORE: SIMON HEAD ON HIS SON’S BOND WITH JAKE WEATHERALD
After months of speculation about who would partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order in the Ashes opener, back spasms meant the veteran didn’t open in either innings.
Instead Weatherald was paired with Labuschagne for the first innings – a move which did not reap rewards – before Head was elevated in a devastatingly successful ploy.
Gone leg before to Archer in the first innings, Weatherald made 23 in the second dig, top edging Brydon Carse.
But with Head rampant down the other end, the former South Australian teammates put on 75 for the first wicket in 11.3 overs, a sizeable chunk of Australia’s target of 205.
Weatherald said he had been in awe of Head’s feats at Perth Stadium on Saturday, with the Australian vice-captain making the second quickest century in Ashes history.
“It was amazing to watch. And it’s obviously something I’ve really envied, and I’ve been quite vocal about being very envious of Trav and the way he goes about his batting,” Weatherald said.
“He walks out there with an ability to be clear and calm and to put pressure on the bowlers no matter what the situation is.
“And to make 100 when the high score after that was just over 50, really, it’s amazing skill to walk out there and shut up the external noise.
“Obviously, the Barmy Army were being very vocal, and 200 felt a long way away with the fact we only made 140 odd in the first innings.
“So it was one of those things that the way he walks out and bats and just has complete freedom, is something I envy a lot, and it’s something that gave me a lot of confidence.
“I’ve just got to commit to what I’m doing, and I’ll be successful as well too. So it sort of helped me a lot, and I sort of put a lot more emphasis on him, really, and I could just go about my thing and try to find ways to score on a pretty tricky wicket. So it was awesome to watch at the other end. But yeah, and I was, it was an amazing thing to be a part of, to be fair, just to say that I’ve been a part of one of those innings of Travy’s is pretty cool.”
It had been a different story in the first innings when England’s rampant pace attack left Australia reeling at 4-31 after Khawaja’s prolonged absence from the field forced a reshuffle.
Weatherald – whose 20 most recent first-class innings before his debut had been as the non-facing opener – said he and Khawaja hadn’t settled on who would take the first ball, but that Labuschagne had asked Weatherald if he would like to face first.
“Marnus came out and said, ‘would you like take it?’ And I was just like, ‘I want to get this over and done with this.’ My first ball over and done with, I just said I’ll take it on. If you’re an opener, you’ve got to figure out ways to do it. And you know, it’s, it’s just a part of being an opening batsman. So it wasn’t too much of a concern. It’s obviously nothing to do with me getting out. No doubt, if I’d not faced the first ball, there’s still a chance I’d make the same mistake.”
Australia’s 473rd men’s Test player saw the funny side in the tourists providing some feedback to Labuschagne about the call for Weatherald to take the first ball.
“Yeah, that was actually pretty friendly. It was more around Marnus not taking the first ball with my first innings,” Weatherald said.
“Which I agreed with, ‘I was like, yeah, you’re right boys, (he) probably should have taken it for me’,” he added seemingly tongue-in-cheek on Sunday.
“It was all fun and games. I don’t think they were too worried about me to be fair. I think they’re more worried about Heady and the rest of the boys coming in. So just a bit of casual stuff, but nothing too vicious to be fair.”
Originally published as Jake Weatherald opens up on his Test debut and why innings two was more comfortable
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