Travis Head’s recent exploits are well known. But his memory of the 2020 Boxing Day Ashes Test, where Australia lost by 8 wickets and later lost his place to Will Pukowski, was a real low point for the left-hander. This is what started the turnaround and led him to believe that he would then go completely berserk during his county tenure.
In 33 Tests since his return, Head has been awarded Player of the Match in eight of his matches, and averages 46.71 with nine centuries in that span, according to Australia AP.
In that disastrous Boxing Day Test four years ago, Head scored 38 and 17 before being dropped from Sydney. His Red Ball ambitions were dashed.
He told AAP: “I lost my (national) contract and then I went to Sussex and stunk it there too. I tried to keep batting the way I was batting but it didn’t work.
Australia’s Travis Head plays a shot during the fifth day of the third cricket Test between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Holscher)
Then playing Kent at Canterbury, the innings of the match proved to be a turning point in Head’s career. “Then in one of my last matches at Sussex I got 49 off 46 balls in the second innings and I thought, ‘Well, I’m just going to slog it’ and I did well, so I thought, ‘Why’ would I just do that?'” AAP quoted him as saying.
It was his passion for technology that was creating stuff. “I was worried about my technique at the time,” Head added. Kent’s game filtered through his mentality, and the runs started flowing like water, when he realized that he had to face more deliveries before his hitting ways took over. “My theory was that if I could stay in there long enough, my aggressive approach would take over, and I would get in there and score runs. Now I’m like, if you can score don’t worry about getting out. And then if you can’t score So, get in a good position not to get out,” he added to AAP.
Head then slowed down, relying on openers to shine, and gave himself the tools to first take off his aggro approach or alternatively “get into a good position to not get out.”
Head said, “I’m more worried about runs now than anything else. The opposition is more “concerned” too.
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