“It is nice,” Head told Kayo Sports immediately after the victory, his voice still quivering with adrenaline. “They are a seriously good outfit. [Mitchell] Starcy led us with seven wickets in the first innings, and we could not let that slip. It was nice to contribute.”
Asked about the discussions that had led to his move up the order to open the batting, Head said: “I was happy to do it … it didn’t bother me. The coach and captain decided. I thought there were probably two or three options, but I was pretty keen to do it.
Travis Head flays a six.Credit: Getty Images
“They have serious fast bowlers and I expected short-pitched bowling. I just tried to hit down breeze. When I got to 50 and 60, I felt the momentum. This is a lovely but intimidating place to bat. You do have a few sleepless nights with the cracks, and facing the likes of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. It is a fantastic start and if this is anything to go by, it will be one hell of a series.”
Just when the England team – and many members of the UK press – thought the tourists had landed the first killer blow of the five-match series, Australia wrestled back control to swing the game in their favour.
With England cruising at 1-65 in their second innings and leading by 105 runs, there was no excuse to not win. The failure to do will leave the tourists shell-shocked and searching for answers, after their fast bowlers were mediocre with the game on the line and Head taking them down with disdain.
The irony of Head being thrown up to open was not lost on anyone. The only reason Khawaja’s Test career was revived in 2022 was when he took Head’s place at the top of the order due to COVID-19. Khawaja made twin centuries against England at the SCG and never looked back.
Joe Root’s century drought in Australia also continued on Saturday as the England champion endured his leanest Ashes outing, falling cheaply for the second time in the Test as Mitchell Starc stormed to a third career 10-wicket haul.
On a day punctuated by drama, technology delays and another English batting collapse, Root’s dismissal for eight – dragging a Starc delivery back onto his stumps – amplified the growing scrutiny around the 34-year-old’s record in this country.
England unravelled spectacularly to lose 4-9 as Ben Duckett (28), Ollie Pope (33), Harry Brook (0) and Root all departed in a frenetic – and match-defining – spell. England were bowled out for 164 to go with their first-innings effort of 172.
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Root had promised before the series that the Ashes in Australia remained unfinished business, but his wait for a Test century on these shores now spans 29 innings and 15 matches since 2013. Despite nine half-centuries in that time, the three-figure milestone continues to elude him – a fact Australian fans will continue to remind him of.
More to come
