Australia launched an incredible day one fightback after being 3/12 in the first session with Travis Head scoring a match-saving century in Hobart. Re-live all the action here.
Travis Head has redefined himself as the present and future of Australian cricket, with the standout innings of his career to go down as an all-time Ashes classic.
Coming to the crease on a menacing green top with England’s bowlers firing and Australia in crisis at 3-12, Head proceeded to peel off an electric 112-ball hundred.
Head was similarly spectacular when he smashed a century in a session in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane, but that was scored with Australia already on top in the game – not with David Warner and Steve Smith already back in the shed with ducks and Usman Khawaja also gone.
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Cameron Green (74) also continued his meteoric rise, backing up his return to batting form in Sydney before ultimately falling early in the last session to leave Australia 6-236 in an intriguing day’s battle between bat and ball.
It was disappointment for Green at throwing away a shot at a maiden Test series, but this is still a landmark series in which he has evolved into the complete package as a Test all-rounder.
Faced with a wicket that was seaming all over the place, Head wrestled momentum back for Australia and is now the leading run-scorer of the series (349) despite missing the Sydney Test with COVID-19.
Head’s match-altering century in Hobart showed that his career possibilities are endless and predictions he could be a future Australian captain are certainly not unfounded.
But it wasn’t a one-man show and a 71-run partnership with Marnus Labuschagne (44 off 53) and a stunning 121-run stand with Green demoralised England, who by the end of the first session had lost their most likely quick Ollie Robinson to injury as the rest of the attack crumbled.
Head’s aggressive shot-making and the fearlessness with which he took to the surface will ensure this innings lives long in Ashes folklore, as Michael Vaughan swore he saw Allan Border in some of the South Australian’s drives.
Adam Gilchrist on Fox said it was like watching Head mature “before our very eyes.”
Australia were 4-85 when Labuschagne fell just before the first interval to one of the most bizarre dismissals ever seen in Test cricket – losing his footing as he walked too far across his stumps to be bowled behind his legs middle-stump.
From the second session they’d belted 130 runs, with Head the only wicket to fall – incredibly out with a brain snap the very next delivery after celebrating his fourth career century in 22 Tests.
Head’s disappointment at not continuing to put England to the sword through the night session was eased by the knowledge that he has reinvented his reputation as a flaky, enigmatic figure, to a consistent, match-breaking figure in the middle-order, averaging 69 this Ashes.
“Over a long period of time, over the past two or three years I’ve tried to become the most consistent batter I can be,” Head told Fox Cricket.
“I worked really hard with my technique. I want to be as consistent as I can be every day and I have been able to mould that over a period of time.”
Head has fulfilled his goal by posting the three fastest half centuries of this series and scoring 50 per cent quicker than any other specialist batsman from either side.
Rain prematurely forced play to be abandoned on day one with Australia 6-241, as Head reflected on how he has executed such a breakthrough series in his career.
“Yeah I’ve definitely come into this series more relaxed. The fact Pat (Cummins) and JL (Justin Langer) have backed me in quite hard over a period and asked me to go out and play the way I see the game,” said Head.
“And I feel I’m coming off some strong Shield seasons to know my game is in good order. I’ve definitely come in with an expectation of what’s required and I’ve been able to go out and express myself as I see fit and I’m happy to have been as consistent as I have been.”
Head was disappointed he threw away a shot at a big hundred after losing concentration after reaching his milestone.
“I was disappointed I wasn’t able to go on and make a big score. I’d worked really hard to get in that position,” he said.
Head said anything over 300 would be a good first innings total.
Labuschagne once again showed his class as one of the world’s truly heavy-duty batsmen, even though his dismissal provided a piece of unintentional cricket comedy that made Steve Smith and Pat Cummins smirk in the dressing room despite the precarious situation of the game at that point.
The Labuschagne innings started with him being dropped on a duck – continuing his incredible run as statistically the world’s luckiest batsman.
Labuschagne has been dropped from 50 per cent of the chances he has been given in Test cricket when fielders usually catch at a rate above 80 per cent – but the Queenslander’s resolve in menacing conditions show that the good players make their own luck.
It was Labuschagne’s nine boundaries which initially stopped England’s rampant early momentum, and erased fears Australia could collapse in similarly embarrassing style to the last time they were in Hobart when South Africa skittled them for 85 back in 2016.
Channel 7 commentator Damien Fleming described the sight of the green wicket as “22 yards of kryptonite for the top order” – and so it proved with Warner and Smith falling for ducks for the first time ever in the same innings.
Khawaja’s return as a Test opener lasted 26 balls, but it was a wicket where eventually a ball had the batter’s number – and Stuart Broad and Robinson were flying with two early wickets each until the wheels fell off.
There's some chat play could go until 11.30pm AEDT.
But just as the covers come off in Hobart, the hessian covers are back covering the centre wicket.
We will keep you updated when there's more information on when or if play will resume tonight.
UPDATE: Play has officially been called one day one due to rain. Play will start 30 minutes early (2.20pm AEDT) tomorrow.
Thank you for joining us and thank you, Travis Head, for putting an absolute clinic on the Poms. Catch you tomorrow.
Very, very poor from these two. Kohli's comment about his side playing against a whole country is so rich considering one of the most powerful sporting bodies on the planet protects its players with an iron fist.
BRETT STUBBS
Just when England finally was right on top in this series, it again was undone by its own tardiness and lack of preparation.
Ollie Robinson was unplayable in his opening spell, dismissing David Warner and Steve Smith for ducks, and should have had Marnus Labuschagne also without scoring only for Zak Crawley to put down the edge at second slip.
Australia could have, or should have, been 4-12.
Robinson and Stuart Broad were soon replaced by Mark Wood and Chris Woakes and the Blundstone green top went from unplayable to a run feast as first Labuschagne and then Travis Head and Cameron Green flew along at virtually a run a ball.
After the initial burst with the new ball, the English bowling was fairly deplorable.
Wood, so commendable in previous Tests, was dispatched continually on the most bowler friendly pitch of the season, and went at more than seven an over, while Woakes' dismal tour continued, before Head gifted him a wicket the ball after reaching his brilliant century.
With Ben Stokes unable to bowl due to a side strain suffered in Sydney, Robinson was vital – but he too soon was more invalid than threatening due to a stiff back.
Despite being only fast-medium at best, his first over after the first break he struggled to reach 115 km/h and it is not the first time he has struggled on tour for fitness and consistency.
From afar, he appears more of a bowler from the 1980s when the diets were more pies and pints rather than a modern professional, especially when compared to the rock hard physiques of his contemporaries Mitch Starc, Pat Cummins, Mark Wood or even 39-year-old veteran James Anderson.
Very light rain is falling and the covers are out at Bellerive.
The players left the field with Australia at 6/241 to the jeers of the Hobart crowd.
Cam Green has fallen short of a maiden Test century, hitting out to deep square leg on 74.
Mark Wood unleashed a short-ball barrage on the the talented allrounder, whose impressive knock came to end when he tried to pull a ball from the English quick that appeared to come on quicker than he expected.
Mitch Starc was pushed up the order in front of skipper Pat Cummins to join Alex Carey who has been very patient so far.
Fastest 100s of this #Ashes series (balls faced)
— Swamp (@sirswampthing) January 14, 2022
85 – Travis Head – Brisbane
112 – TRAVIS HEAD – HOBART
131 – Usman Khawaja (2nd) – Sydney
138 – Jonny Bairstow – Sydney
201 – Usman Khawaja (1st) – Sydney
287 – Marnus Labuschagne – Adelaide
#AUSvENG https://t.co/WhIuhXTlvs
ROBERT CRADDOCK
Can a man prepare for a major Test match challenge by shopping at Bunnings?
It’s possible … and Marnus Labuschagne proved it on a deadly wicked wicket at Hobart with a hay-making 44 against England.
For a while it was like we were watching one of those wild western movies where the masked gunman appeared from nowhere to shoot up the town as bullets flew everywhere.
When he fell at the crease in one of cricket’s most bizarre dismissals, it was the sheriff had somehow taken him down from behind.
READ CRASH'S STORY ON MARNUS AND HIS INNINGS TODAY
It's been a busy final few overs before tea, with Cam Green bringing up the third 50 of his short Test career, only minutes after losing partner and century-maker Travis Head.
A determined Green hit four boundaries in an assured knock, as he played a supporting role to Head.
But he will be the main man after the tea break with the Aussies to resume under lights at 5/215.
Just one ball after bringing up his second century of the series, Travis Head's brilliant innings is over.
Head (101 off 113) is back in the dressing room after lofting an easy catch to Ollie Robinson at mid-on, off the bowling off Chris Woakes.
Fellow South Australian joins Cam Green at the crease with Australia at 5/204.
Travis Head has guided Australia to a commanding position on a difficult Hobart pitch, bringing up his fourth Test century off just 112 balls in the 49th over.
Head came in with his side in trouble at 3/12, following the wicket of Steve Smith, and immediately hit back, going after an England attack that started so brightly.
The 28-year-old hit 12 boundaries on his way to 100 and is now the leading run scorer of the series.
Head and Cameron Green (47*) have combined for 121 to put the Aussies back on top at 4/203.
That's an incredible knock from Travis Head.#Ashes pic.twitter.com/vmdCqRh9pN
— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) January 14, 2022
A suite of fresh faces are poised to included in an Australia A squad that will take on India A later this month, with the country’s most promising batsman inching closer to a shock Test debut.
Australian selectors will provide an early steer on potential replacements for Cameron Green when they unveil an Australia A squad, with a former Test opener appearing to be a good chance for selection.
