Australia def Pakistan ODI result, highlights: Travis Head century, Adam Zampa star in thumping win

Australia may be battling a Covid crisis in Pakistan, but they found the troops to pull off a mighty victory in their ODI opener.

Australia's Travis Head celebrates after scoring a blistering century. Picture: AFP

David Warner and Aaron Finch might want to watch their backs – Travis Head’s case for a place at the top of the order will be hard to argue against if he can keep playing as he did in Pakistan on Tuesday night.

Given a chance in the absence of Warner Head treated the local bowling with contempt on his way to the fastest 100 by an Australian opener in over a decade.

Imam-ul-Haq responded with a more sober century from 92 deliveries but Pakistan were bowled out in 225 in the 46th over in response to Australia’s 7-313.

Adam Zampa finished with 4-38 and was the pick of the bowlers but Head was the man of the moment in what was essentially an Australian second XI.

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Australia's Travis Head celebrates after scoring a blistering century. Picture: AFP

The explosive South Australian captain scored 50 from 32 deliveries and 100 from 70 in a brilliant display of power hitting.

Only six Australians have got to three figures faster – including Steve Smith who did it in 62 deliveries twice.

The left hander feasted on wide balls, cutting and driving so hard fielders had little chance. Poor old Finch was on nine when Head brought up his half century.

“I just found the middle of the bat, took my opportunities and found the gap a few times, we thought the new ball was going to be crucial,” Head said.

“We didn’t really know how the wicket was going to play when the ball got soft we were probably going to see a little bit of reverse swing later on, the idea was to push the rate at the start, it’d be easier to get runs at the start than the back end.”

Head made the most of his opportunity at the top of the order with a scintillating knock. Picture: AFP

Head said the opportunity was there at the top of the order so he was happy to take it after four years out of the ODI side.

“They (Warner and Finch) are an outstanding combination and have been for a long time, I’ve waited a long time to get an opportunity so it was nice.”

Head scored 230 from 127 deliveries in the Marsh Cup in October, establishing a record for the fastest List A double century (114balls) and becoming just the third player to score a second double in limited overs cricket.

He has ticked along at an average above 50 in fifty over cricket for South Australia and Sussex across three seasons, but has not played for Australia in ODIs since 2018.

Head’s hell-fire innings in the first one dayer was some reward for the cricketer who had a lean time of it in the Test matches scoring 68 from four innings.

His cut shot is brutal, ditto his square drive, but he throws the kitchen sink at almost any delivery which allows him to free his arms – and there were plenty of those from Pakistan opening bowlers.

Australia's captain Aaron Finch (R) was on just nine when Head brought up his half-century. Picture: AFP

Even when he finds a fielder there’s a chance he will break through hesitant hands.

South Australian coach Jason Gillespie said on Twitter during the innings that this performance, was “no surprise”.

The former quick told The Code in February that Head’s 86 ball 142 in a losing cause at the WACA will stay with him for a long time.

“One of the best knocks I’ve ever seen in 50-over cricket,” Gillespie said of the says of the innings which 15 fours and six sixes.

“He’s able to put the onus back on bowlers. He doesn’t let the bowlers settle. And that can be very unsettling.

“The goal in batting is to hit the ball where there’s no fielders and Trav does that wonderfully well.”

In Lahore he struck 12 fours and three sixes and appeared to be on his way to a third double century before he fell to a poor shot.

Finch (23 from 36) was out caught behind by the keeper Mohammed Rizwan from the bowling of leg spinner Zahid Mahmood but Head and Ben McDermott kept advancing at a fast rate.

The opener was disappointed with himself when he was out on 101 attempting to slog the left arm orthodox Iftikah Ahmed into the deep, but Australia were 171 in the 25th over and looked set for a big score.

Ben McDermott posted a half-century before being run-out. Picture: AFP

Ben McDermott struck 55 from 75 deliveries but the momentum had drained from the Australian innings as slow bowling and a slow pitch frustrated the new batsmen.

Marnus Labuschagne (25 from 35) and Marcus Stoinis (26 from 42) both failed to go on, Alex Carey (4 from 4) fell cheaply when he attempted to reverse a full delivery from Zaheer Mahmood but only managed to play it onto his stumps.

Cameron Green, in the team because Mitch Marsh is injured, came in at No 7 and played a clever cameo at the back of the innings striking 40 from 30 deliveries to see the side to a respectable 7-303.

Adam Zampa (R) finished with four wickets to be the pick of the Australian bowlers. Picture: AFP

The long-limbed all-rounder is a clean and clever hitter of the cricket ball.

Before the series Finch said Australia was intent on winning every match, but both he and coach Andrew McDonald admit that there is an element of research and development to the selections.

With Warner, Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Glenn Maxwell unavailable it is a chance to build depth and test new talent.

In that spirit, and because there was not really anywhere else to turn, Greene was given the new ball with Sean Abbott.