Travis Head hammers his second successive Test hundred vs India
What's the story
Australian batter Travis Head has shown his class against India in the ongoing third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test, scoring a sensational 152 in the first innings at Brisbane's Gabba. This was his second successive hundred as he scored a match-winning 140 in the second Test in Adelaide. His recent Test scores against India read 163, 18, 11, 89, 140, and now 152. Here are his stats.
Knock
Vital partnership with Smith
Only 13.2 overs were bowled on Day 1 due to rain. The hosts lost two quick wickets on Day 2 morning before Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed. Head arrived with the scorecard reading 75/3. He joined forces with Steve Smith (101) and the duo added 241 runs for the fourth wicket. Head dominated the partnership as he found boundaries for fun after getting settled. His brilliance took the Aussies past 300. He eventually fell to Jasprit Bumrah.
Dominance
Head's impressive record against India
Head's performance against India is especially remarkable, with an average of nearly 65 across formats since 2023. Against other nations, his average during this period is 36.76 from 54 innings. As mentioned, his recent accomplishments include a match-winning score of 140 at Adelaide. He also scored a brilliant 89 in the fourth innings of the series opener in Perth.
Gabba performance
Head's impressive record at the Gabba
As per ESPNcricinfo, Head's record at the Gabba is commendable, averaging 63 across eight Test innings (504 runs). Despite recent struggles with three golden ducks at this venue, he has previously scored a century and two fifties here. This includes a career-reviving knock of 152 during the first Ashes Test of 2021-22 at this ground. Hence, this was his second Test hundred at the venue.
Head vs India
Head's impressive track record against India
Head has a knack of doing well against India. His biggest achievement was scoring 163 in the 2023 World Test Championship final, helping Australia to a thumping 209-run win. He also scored a century in the final of the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup where Australia defeated India at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, winning their sixth Cup in the 50-over format.
Career
Third Test hundred vs India
Head slammed 18 fours en route to his 160-ball 152. Playing his 52nd Test, Head has raced past 3,500 (now 3,565) runs at 44.56. While this was his ninth Test hundred, he also owns 17 fifties. He has also completed 1,000 Test runs against against India (now 1,107), averaging 52.71. The tally includes four fifties and three tons.