Travis Head nails timely score for South Australia ahead of first Test

Travis Head may have saved his place in the Australian Test batting order after a timely score in Adelaide.

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Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb could be shooting out for just one vacancy in the Test top six on Saturday after under-pressure star Travis Head potentially saved himself with a timely knock in Adelaide.

Head blasted an impressive 87 in South Australia’s Sheffield Shield clash against Western Australia and only a howler of an lbw decision cost him the hundred which might have put his selection for the first Test against India at the same Adelaide Oval beyond doubt.

But even so, Head will now be hugely difficult to leave out given his status as a young talent backed in by Australian coach Justin Langer, who played an impressive match-saving role on debut just two matches ago against Pakistan in the UAE.

Travis Head scored an impressive 87 for South Australia on Friday to make a strong claim for a spot in the first Test. Picture: AAP

Head’s timely innings which featured 13 boundaries has raised the possibility that despite all the outcry over Australia’s batting woes, selectors may make only one change to the top six from the side that lost to Pakistan 1-0.

Queensland opener Renshaw and Victorian middle-order man Handscomb are the two players considered most likely to break into the side that’s picked next week, but there now may not be room for both.

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Renshaw will resume on eight not out against NSW’s all-Australian attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon on Saturday in Canberra and a big score would put him in the box seat to comeback and partner Aaron Finch at the top of the order for the first Test.

Queensland’s Matt Renshaw will resume against NSW on Saturday. Picture: AAP

Handscomb also has a chance to push his case as a solution to Australia’s woes at No.4 when Victoria starts their clash against Tasmania today on a potentially green wicket in Hobart.

Presuming Usman Khawaja proves his fitness for the first Test as he continues to make strong inroads in his return from knee surgery, he is a certainty alongside Finch and Mitchell Marsh.

Shaun Marsh is also near certain after his ODI ton for Australia and now Head has performed.

If Marnus Labuschagne (9 not out) makes runs when he resumes against NSW today, selectors could incredibly be forced to consider an unchanged batting line-up for the first Test.

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