’Definitely no divide’: Travis Head puts to bed speculation of tension between the Australian squad

Batsman Travis Head has put to bed any speculation of a ‘divide’ between the Australian batters and bowlers on the back of Josh Hazlewood’s ambiguous comments.

Australian middle-order batsman Travis Head has rejected any notion of a divide between Australia’s batsmen and bowlers in the wake of their humiliating loss to India in the first Test.

And Head has backed the side’s preparation for the series ahead of the second Test in Adelaide.

After copping it from the Indians on the field in Perth, the Australian team copped it significantly off the field, with critics and fans alike hammering the side over the 295-run loss.

With many of the Aussies’ big names not playing much cricket prior to the Perth Test, the team’s preparation came under the microscope.

That scrutiny was followed by claims of a “divide” between batters and bowlers in the wake of comments Josh Hazlewood made during the Test.

Travis Head says there is no divide between the Australian batters and bowlers. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Hazlewood deflected a question late in the match saying, “you’d have to ask one of the batters”. And that drew some question marks from around the game, former England Test captain Michael Vaughan, Hazlewood’s comments did prove there was tensions within the team.

As the Australian team converged on Adelaide Oval ahead of Friday’s start of play for the day-night clash, Head, who top scored with 89-runs in the second innings in Perth, dismissed the notion of a divide in te team – joking that there was one when the team was doing well.

“I know people are going to draw circumstances to a lot of things but I think if you look back at recent series guys have had time off, had babies, injuries, we’ve had all sorts of stuff so I wouldn’t dive into that too much,” he said.

“That can be put to bed … I think that is the one thing with ‘body language’ and ‘divides’ and all the stuff that comes out when there is a loss, this team has been together three to four years and when we were winning it was not that much dissimilar.

“The guys get along really well, we hold high expectations of both sides and it is a very individualised sport so batters want to hold our own, we know how good our bowlers have been in the past so we know if we can get runs on the board it puts us in a great position.

“Definitely no divide.”

Former captain Steve Smith and the out-of-form Marnus Labuschagne were among the players who took part in an optional net session on Monday.

Labuschagne in particular has copped plenty of criticism in the wake of the Perth Test, especially for his second-innings dismissal.

Steve Smith will be looking for a return to form. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Marnus Labuschagne has been putting in the hours in the nets. Picture: Lachie Millard

He spent the time off hitting the nets hard and Head said he had no doubt Labuschagne would do everything he could to get out of his slump.

“Haven’t spoken to him but will do today, but knowing Marnus he would have cracked in and worked on a few things,” he said.

“It would have been hard to keep him out of the nets and no doubt over the next few days you will see him working hard again.

“He is a guy who has played well over a long period of time, he would like some more runs but so would everyone and he has an opportunity over the next few days to do what he does to prepare.”

All-rounder Mitch Marsh was not in the nets as he battles soreness, which has him a doubt for the second Test.

Originally published as ’Definitely no divide’: Travis Head puts to bed speculation of tension between the Australian squad