Travis Head’s coming of age is the bright spot Australian cricket needs, writes Ian Chappell
Travis Head has learned from the harsh lessons cricket can provide. And his composed knock against India showed he can be the bright spot the Aussies need, writes Ian Chappell.
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When I first saw Travis Head he was an under-19 Australian cricketer playing in the 2012 World Cup in Townsville.
He was a skilful left-hand batsman but his habit of hitting numerous balls in the air through, rather than over, the infield looked likely to weigh as an anchor on his career.
He’s detached the anchor and is now a far different batsman as he attempts to become ensconced as a valued member of the 2018 Australian senior team.
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While his fellow left-handers seemed hellbent on advancing Ravi Ashwin’s reputation as a serial pest to molly dukers, Head calmly picked gaps in the field to steadily advance the score.
Where the batsmen ahead of him in the order had been constrained by the steady Indian attack, Head was able to make progress with deft touches early on, then as his confidence grew, a string of well-timed drives through the off-side. He was also one of the few batsmen in the Test who found his timing early on in his innings.
His calmness at the crease when facing Ashwin suggested lessons had been well learned from a recent visit to the UAE. Overall his batting displayed the air of a young player who had learned from bitter experience that it’s wiser to keep the ball on the ground for the bulk of the time when facing good teams.
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With Australia desperately in search of batsmen who can be relied upon in the Test arena, Head’s progress was an encouraging sign.
The other factor contributing to Head’s improvement as a player was his appointment as South Australian captain at a young age. He was given the difficult task at 21 years old and there’s nothing like having to think for eleven instead of one to improve your cricket acumen.
It probably also didn’t hurt Head that his first Test in Australia was played at his home ground; this perhaps accounted for his timing being in place right from the start of his innings.
Having led Australia to within touching distance of India’s first innings total, Head was out for 72 — exactly the same score as his best in the UAE series against Pakistan. He displayed his disappointment as he departed the crease but if he continues to make headway with his batting he won’t finish his Test career with that as his highest score.
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Without Head’s diligence and skill, the effort of Australia’s probing bowling effort would have been wasted. Australia’s pace trio expertly tempted the impetuous Indian stroke makers into expansive drives and the fielders did the rest with some excellent catching.
The mantra of Australia’s pace bowlers is “extend an invitation to drive”.
This is an excellent tactic that was suitably stressed by former Australian pace bowler Craig McDermott when he was the bowling coach. By offering plenty of deliveries that appeared to be drivable — but in reality were a wolf in sheep’s clothing — McDermott’s mantra was still being studiously followed.
If it wasn’t for Cheteshwar Pujara’s disciplined defiance, Australia’s teasing and testing bowling tactics would have had the team well on the way to a morale-boosting victory at Adelaide Oval.
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In response, if it wasn’t for Head’s homecoming present, Australia would’ve been facing a deflating defeat. A scorecard that is untypical of day time Adelaide Tests — a string of double figure scores without a match winning big innings — is dominated by just two batsmen.
Already this series is shaping as one where the bowlers for the main part will hold sway. Test cricket is a better game when the first inning’s score doesn’t exceed 350 because that tends to concentrate the minds of the team bowling second. So many Tests — with reasonably evenly matched teams — where the first innings’ scores are moderate tend to evolve into hard fought contests.
If the series continues in this vein it will be absorbing Test cricket and do much to rehabilitate the game in the eyes of the Australian public.
Without either Pujara or Head’s contribution one team would now be languishing at the Adelaide Oval.
As it is the match is evenly poised, waiting for someone to apply the knockout blow.
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Originally published as Travis Head’s coming of age is the bright spot Australian cricket needs, writes Ian Chappell
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