There’s no two ways about it: yesterday was just about the perfect start to a home Ashes series – obviously from an Australian point of view.
England all out 147 by tea on Day 1 would have been gleefully accepted before play by anyone on the Australian side of the ledger – from me to you guys and to Patrick James Cummins himself.
And on Cummins, his first day out as Australia’s 47th men’s Test captain went pretty bloody swimmingly.
Figures of 13.1 overs, three maidens, 5-38 maker for as good a first day in the big office as he could’ve hoped for. An opening DRS blot will be quickly forgotten, as he became the first Australian captain since Michael Clarke to take a Test five-for.
It meant that Australia was batting from the start of the evening session, and that gave me some time to put some thoughts down a topic that’s been rumbling in my mind for the last few days.
Anyone who’s read my columns or comments over the last few years and especially anyone who follows me on Twitter would know that I’ve never been a massive rap on recalled Australian No. 5 Travis Head.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Over the years I’ve lamented his lazy, wafting blade outside off stump that has historically left him open any number of dismissal methods with maddening regularity.
I’ve been dismayed by the number of times he’s thrown starts away or lost concentration after facing a considerable but not significantly large number of balls.
It’s been a frustrating element to his game, and it’s meant that his place in any given Australian side has been far from given. His first Test was in October 2018, and his first limited-overs games came in 2016, yet this First Ashes Test is just his 20th, and he’s played only 42 ODIs and just 16 T20Is.
And it’s frustrating because his talent is clear. He very obviously can bat very, very well.
Coming into this Ashes series, I was once again ambivalent towards his selection and probably leaned toward Usman Khawaja earning the nod at No. 5 for reasons of perceived heightened reliance that may or may not be warranted.
With Cameron Green at No. 6 and a debutant wicketkeeper to follow, I liked the argument that Khawaja’s experience ahead of a couple of new or newish players in the middle order just made a lot of sense.
From a pure performance point of view this summer their Shield returns were even pretty similar.
Khawaja had made 460 Sheffield Shield runs at 65 compare to Head’s 394 at 49. Khawaja had two centuries and two 50s to Head’s two and one. Head had a better time of it in the state one-dayers, with his 230 against Queensland another innings of significance.
Head really only had age on his side, and I was a long way from being convinced that was enough.
But he got the nod for the Brisbane, and Australia’s brilliant start to the Test means that a win from here will probably ensure an unchanged side for Adelaide – Head’s home deck – next week.
Essentially, Travis Head over the next week and a bit can lock his place in the side down for the summer with a couple of reasonable performances.
This time two seasons ago I wrote about Head and Matthew Wade being the only unknown quantities in the Australian top order and that they “could provide the final elements in a balanced side that Australian fans have been dreaming of for the last few troubling years”.
The same applies to Head two years on, funnily enough, but now he’s the only question mark, especially when it looks as though George Bailey and his selection panel have declared Marcus Harris as the opener-designate in the ongoing concussion absence of Will Pucovski.
So once again Head is playing for his Test future, but this time I’m looking forward to him eliminating the doubts I’ve had about him as a genuine Test bat over the years.
Clearly his form this summer has been strong.
Both his Shield centuries saw him come in at No. 4 with South Australia two down for 60 or 70 and both saw him build a significant partnership with whoever was willing to support him at the other end. His second ton came after SA were forced to follow on against Queensland, having been rolled for 102 in the first innings.
SA were 1-22 in the fourth over on the one-day game when he came in, and he added 244 with Jake Weatherald.
He’s making scores and he’s making them when needed, which is exactly want you want from your No. 4 or 5 bat. He’ll turn 28 during the Boxing Day Test, so you do have to wonder if a bit of maturity has finally befallen upon his game.
Hopefully that proves to be the case this summer.
Australia’s magnificent bowling effort on Day 1 should have given the top order plenty of time to add to England’s ropey start to the Ashes series, but Brisbane’s weather had other ideas.
It means that Head may get the chance to start proving me wrong today in Brisbane, though I obviously wouldn’t mind if he doesn’t. The longer he has to wait to bat today, the better the situation for Australia in this match becomes.
But the point remains. Whenever he walks out to bat in this series, I hope he can take that welcome next step.
Brett McKay
Expert
Gracious to the end, with a healthy dose of ego and condescension as well..
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
“and I’m not likely to be wrong” No, I can’t imagine so… ???? " So how did it all pan out in the end? A couple of things: 1. While we don’t know what a team will score in the 3rd innings of the match, we do know that only six teams have ever won from more than 200 behind in the 145 year history of test cricket, and that two of those involved minnows lacking the experience to close it out, another was thrown, and two of the remaining three involved phenomenal players pulling off a once in a career super human performance over and above what could be reasonably expected on a regular basis even from such unique players. 2. There have also not been many occasions of a team winning when trailing by 150-199, and even winning after trailing by 100-149 is defined as a great come from behind win, and great come from behind wins only earn the tag because they happen so rarely. When a first innings deficit goes beyond 150 it is a lost cause because the historical trends of test cricket show only a miniscule number of comebacks, even to draw, from such a hopeless position, other than batting out the final day on a featherbed. Therefore, 150-200 deficits, on 95-99% of occasions follow one of three different paths: 1. A quick unbothered capitulation 2. A slow strangulation, but none the less inevitable capitulation 3. A temporary illusion of a fightback followed by either a quick capitulation or slow strangulation once a long partnership such as Root’s and Malan’s is finally broken in such circumstances An escape for a draw is also usually not a realistic outcome, and the odds against it increase dramatically the more time remaining in the game beyond a full day’s playing time. I was amused by learned commentators alluding England had somehow gotten themselves back into the match at the end of day 3, as well as panicky Australian fans. In reality England were not 2 for 220 at stumps, but rather 2 for -58, which is 58 runs worse off than a team on the first morning of a test being 2 for 0. When Stokes was out in the middle of the inevitable collapse the next morning, England were 6 for -12. Australia could have declared on their stumps day 2 lead of 196 – or even been bowled out with the same lead at the same point – and this would have meant nothing more than eventually chasing an elementary 4th innings target of 102, all else being equal. 300 in the 3rd or 4th innings of a test is possibly equivalent to 500 in the first or second innings of test, so, even though we could not know what England would make in the 3rd innings, based on historical trends the very large majority of the time, we could confidently predict that they were unlikely to make significantly beyond 300. All in all, 145 years of test cricket history tells us that a 150-200 lead on the first innings is indeed an all but guaranteed victory providing no less than four sessions of playing time remain. You still have so much to learn, Grasshopper.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Yeah it looks a bit like that. These kind of fightbacks are the exception rather than the rule though, and even if England double their total from here, that still only leaves an elementary run chase for us. Very annoying though.
Phil
Guest
Are you watching the Poms batting at the moment?Might go a bit longer than you think.
Tigerbill44
Roar Guru
Can you write a similar article on the whole Bangladesh team before their next test.
Ace
Roar Rookie
You could just let it all go and not drag it out.
Gee
Roar Rookie
Right now Head has a better average than Mark Waugh :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly:
Prez
Roar Rookie
Brett can you churn out an article on Harris before the second test?
Simoc
Roar Rookie
Well hopefully your doubts have been erased. He will no doubt disappoint again but that is the nature of some classy batters. Ponting could inform him of at least one technical problem exposed by England and will get him out if not fixed. Squaring up and closing the bat face to a rising delivery. He got lucky this time but needs to present the full face when defending.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
How about that: a guy who played 128 more tests than You or I agrees with me ... https://www.theroar.com.au/2021/12/09/day-2-report-itll-be-over-tomorrow-heads-brutal-counter-attack-puts-australia-on-course-for-quick-win/
Simon` Stewart
Guest
Time to replace the title of your piece... I’ve never been a huge Travis Head fan, but I look forward to him proving me wrong.... I've never been a huge Travis Head fan, but I was wrong... :crying:
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
This is where Cummins needs to be smart. He should not get seduced into trying to push the lead any further. After two days, Australia is in a position teams love to be in after three (days): 200 lead (or the best part of) batting second. They can afford to lose a whole day of playing time, with a storm about to hit as I write. England have less than Buckley’s chance of winning, so don’t give them a lifeline of possibly jagging a lucky draw. Declare son, it is time to begin your quest for your opposition wickets numbers 11-20.
Steele
Roar Rookie
Well timed article, he absolutely nailed it. An important knock as well. Many who wanted Uzzie and Head in the same team will be feeling vindicated as Harris has done it again. He’s got all the pressure now, they won’t stick with him for too much longer if he doesn’t make runs.
Brett McKay
Expert
Stumps, Day 2: Australia 7/347, Travis Head 112* (95 balls) Pretty strong statement innings from Head today, and good on him. He was scratchy early, and then took the long handle late in the day, but showed plenty of grit and guts in between, as well as some nasty blows and YouTube sweary moments. And where in the past he's followed the fall of quick wickets, today he dug in. He'll be the main reason England will have to chase as big a 2nd Innings total as they will. It's been a superb innings, it really has..
Redcap
Roar Guru
Hope rewarded, Brett. That was really something.
jameswm
Roar Guru
What a timely article!!
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Barring rain, this match has all but passed its decisive point. Barring rain it will need one of the all-time stonewalling efforts in the 145 year history of test cricket for England to escape with a draw. Awesome innings from Head. This detractor of his has been silenced for probably the rest of this series.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
— COMMENT DELETED —
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Ah yes, silly me!
Brett McKay
Expert
Oh, no, that's not it at all! I meant simply that if he didn't get a chance to bat today, that'd be lovely, as in, not enough wickets fell to require him to bat! Moot point now, of course. And he's entering the danger territory right now, so let's see how it goes..