BLISTERING: Australia’s Travis Head celebrates after reaching his century. Photo: REUTERS
MELBOURNE:
Australia’s Ashes match-winner Travis Head said he was wary of inciting England’s fast bowlers as he slogged his way to a stunning century in the first test in Perth.
Head’s brilliant 83-ball 123 as a makeshift opener in the second innings helped Australia seal an eight-wicket win in two days and give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
He told Australian radio station Triple M on Thursday that he feared he might make the English bowlers angry with him too early in the five-test series.
“I’m also very realistic as well that they had two blokes bowling 150 clicks,” Head said.
“I accidentally hit Jofra (Archer) back over his head for six at one point and calmly walked back and marked centre and was like, ‘Oh my god, why did I just do that?'”
Head said he had to calm batting partner Marnus Labuschagne who got too excited with his shot-making.
“Marnus came down and (he) was like, ‘I know you’re trying to act cool, but that’s unbelievable’. And he’s yelling and screaming, and he’s hoo-hah-ing.
“And I’m like, ‘Mate, get back to the other end, at any moment they can put a hole through me, they bowl 150 clicks’.”
Head said he was touched to get a congratulatory text message from former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist who scored the fastest Ashes century with a 57-ball century at the WACA in 2006.
Head reached his hundred in 69 balls, the second fastest.
“He messaged me and said, ‘Well done.’ He was very proud,” said Head.
“I messaged him back and said, ‘How the hell did you do it quicker? In 50-odd balls?’.
“He said he got a very tight attack on a very hot day in Perth.”
England’s light preparations for the series have drawn criticism, as has their decision to not send any of their Perth 11 for practice in a two-day pink ball match against the Prime Minister’s XI side in Canberra.
The second test at the Gabba, which starts December 4, will be a day-night test with the pink ball. Head said he could see why England had chosen not to bother with the Canberra match.
“You can either … change the script and say, ‘We’re going to train’, or you can double down and go, ‘Nup, we’ve had this planned out, we know exactly how we want to go for five tests’,” he said.
“You’ve got to respect the fact they’ve been a bloody good team, and I reckon they’ve got their plans … and they’re doubling down.
“Credit to them, they’re going to live by the sword or die by the sword, and we’ll see where we’re at in Brisbane.”
Anderson wants same XI
England are unlikely to tinker with their side for the second Ashes test against Australia starting in Brisbane next week despite being thumped in the opening match, their former fast bowler James Anderson said.
England deployed a pace heavy attack in Perth and bowled out the hosts for 132 in their first innings, with skipper Ben Stokes picking up five wickets, but they went on lose the extraordinary clash inside two days.
A Travis Head knock in the second innings took the sting out of the tourists’ bowling unit with the Australia opener scoring the only century of the match to script an eight-wicket win.
“The all-pace attack 100% worked in the first innings. We landed a few blows,” England’s all-time leading test wicket-taker Anderson said on the BBC’s Tailenders podcast.
“I think that will be in their heads and I would not be surprised at all if we went with the same side.
“I just wonder whether we lack a nuance with a bit of something different and a change of pace, whether that is a spinner or a slightly different pacer.”
Australia’s pacemen tore through England’s batting order twice to set up a modest chase of 205, which they completed late on day two, and Anderson said the bowling unit became more predictable as the match progressed.
“Head knew they were bowling short, so he just sat on the back foot and hit his areas,” the 43-year-old added.
“There was no frontline spinner to just bowl four overs and change the pace of the game and make it slightly different for Head and give him something else to think about.”
England have won only three series in Australia in the last 50 years, the last in 2010-11. They have not won a single test match Down Under since.
