Curse of the Croweater threatens to consume another victim

Nineteen Tests into his promising yet under-the-pump career and Travis Head is heading down the same road as three other famous South Australian left-handers.

Travis Head is looking likely to sit out the third Test at the SCG.

The shadow of three former South Australian left-hand batsmen is stalking Travis Head as he fights for his Test future.

David Hookes, Darren Lehmann and Wayne Phillips were all exceptionally talented left-handed batsmen for the state, but they played 23, 27 and 27 Tests respectively.

Now Head is heading down that same road as he approaches another crossroads in his promising, yet under-the-pump 19-Test career.

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Travis Head is looking likely to sit out the third Test at the SCG.

Head was shocked at his dropping during the 2019 Ashes series to make way for Mitchell Marsh, and the axe is coming again if Australia hand an expected baggy green to Will Pucovski at the SCG.

His South Australian coach, Jason Gillespie, believes Head is unfairly targeted, given his healthy Test average of 39.75, with two centuries to his name.

“The South Australian skipper would clearly love to be making more Test runs, but he is far from Australia’s worst-performed batsman this summer – and I get tired of hearing people constantly question his position in the side,” wrote Gillespie for News Corp.

“Most other players don’t seem to cop the same intense scrutiny that comes Trav’s way and it’s unfair.”

Even if Head was to survive to play Sydney, which would be unexpected, the writing is on the wall that Australia want to debut Will Pucovski this series.

There is no reason why he can’t still be the player of the future he was first identified as when he was handed the vice-captaincy in the wake of Sandpapergate.

But even at 27 years of age, with the prime of his career still ahead of him, other former greats believe Head needs to make urgent changes to his game.

Shane Warne has been highly critical of Head for getting out in the same way – slashing outside off – too often, while one of the greatest South Australians of all, Ian Chappell, says you can’t be a Test batsman if you’re vulnerable in so many areas.

Lehmann was chosen as 12th man for Australia as a teenager for a Test back in the late 1980s, but didn’t debut for another decade.

He came through in a champion era with so many star batsman, yet was regarded as one of the finest players of spin bowling in the world.

Lehmann played only 27 Tests.

Hookes only played for Australia 23 times.

Lehmann was a wonderful player who averaged 50 in first-class cricket and many believe he had the potential to double or even treble his number of Test caps.

The lessons he learnt from not playing more than 27 Tests helped inform him guide young batsmen under his tuition as Australian coach.

Hookes hit five fours in a row off Tony Grieg in the Centenary Test and later admitted that a limited technique cost him in Test cricket.

Phillips scored a sensational century on debut against Pakistan in Perth and another against West Indies at Bridgetown.

Occasionally burdened by wicket-keeping duties, Phillips never quite had the career expected.

Head with the man expected to take his place in Sydney - Will Pucovski.

Head has time on his side but whether he survives the cut at the SCG or not, he needs to find more consistency, particularly now gun all-rounder Cameron Green has set up camp in the middle-order, and Matthew Wade has so impressed as a veteran influence.

Coach Justin Langer isn’t giving up on Head.

“There’s a loyalty to all our players. And whatever way we go – the hardest thing is … it’s so hard to fit seven or eight into six,” said Langer.

“Honestly, it’s the hardest part of my job.

“But Heady is a good player. He’s averaging 40 in Test cricket. He’s a really aggressive player in the middle overs, he can take the game away.

“He’s one of the guys currently in the team. Whether that changes for this game, I can’t tell you.

“We’ve got some decisions to make over the next two days. But he’s a very, very good player. Very well liked and respected among the group.”