Ashes: Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum praise match-winner Travis Head
What's the story
England skipper Ben Stokes admitted that he and his team had been left "shellshocked" by Travis Head's stunning 69-ball century, as Australia won the first Ashes Test at the Perth Stadium inside two days. The chaotic Test saw the hosts win by eight wickets. On the other hand, coach Brendon McCullum called Head's century as one of the best knocks he witnessed.
Knock
Head's blazing 123 stuns England
England set Australia a target of 205 runs in a contest dominated by bowlers. Head came out blazing his way with a magical 123-run knock from just 83 balls. His knock had 16 fours and four sixes. He was part of two dominating stands alongside Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne. During his stay, Head surpassed 4,000 Test runs and 1,000 Ashes runs.
Stokes
Shellshocked Stokes lauds Head's phenomenal knock
After the completion of the match, Stokes said the innings from Head was pretty phenomenal. "We're a little bit shellshocked there," Stokes told the host broadcaster. "That innings from Travis Head was pretty phenomenal. It's quite raw, quite fresh at the moment but, geez, that was some knock. It's knocked the wind out of us."
McCullum
'One of the best knocks': McCullum on Head
McCullum felt England set a pretty good target for Australia but Head's outstanding knock floored them. "I thought 200 was actually a pretty good score for us to try and defend in the last innings," McCullum told TNT Sports. "But the way Travis Head played was absolutely outstanding. It's one of the best knocks I've seen in a pressure situation on a tough wicket."