It’s not quite locked in, but it’s looking “likely” that Travis Head will retain his opening spot in the Australian Test batting order beyond the 2025-26 Ashes, helped on by his three tons in five matches at number one.
“Probably likely,” Head said when asked whether he’d done enough to stay at the top following his epic 163 in Sydney in the fifth Test of England’s tour.
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He’s reluctant to lock anything in, of course, and pointed to the team leadership and Australia’s selectors as the blokes that would eventually make the call, but conceded his hundreds — his tenth, eleventh, and twelfth in Test cricket — made it an easy argument for anyone wanting to make it.
“We’ve got a lot of time,” the Aussie added on Tuesday, before reminding everyone that the Test squad had been playing with a rolling order.
“This rolling order and where we think guys are going to match up, I think, is still where my head’s at With the leadership and selectors, we’ve been pretty open about that, how we want to best suit this team,” he said.
That was on full display in the first Test of the Ashes, in Perth, when the original opener Usman Khawaja (now preparing for his last ever Test innings when Australia bat in Sydney tomorrow) suffered a back spasm.
Labuschagne opened when Khawaja couldn’t in the first innings, before Head was sent in to hunt down a 205 victory target — and marker he hit with aplomb.
“I felt like it was the right call in Perth to go that way. There was never going to be guarantees I was able to get the job done, but I felt like it set our team up really well. The masterminds will go to work and set the team up how they think we’re going to best be able to win Test matches,” he said. “I’ve always said I’m happy either way.”
That being said, Head did seem to enjoy getting the front row job in Sydney, admitting he had struggled in the past to come into contests with runs on the board, catches in front of the wicket, and a “slower” pace.
“To be here and face a new ball with no catches and get away to a start and put pressure back on the bowlers, I enjoyed it,” he said.
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“There’s going to be moments where you look back and go, ‘Oh, five would be nice.’ You can’t have it both ways. I’m just in a nice bit of form and it’s worked. It’s been pleasing that it has worked.”
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Either way, he just “loves playing cricket in Australia” and has been drinking it all in — let the questions over his future role wait. “Some take it more seriously than others. Yes, it’s a big series. Yes, we want to win,” he said.
“At the end of the day, though, it’s a game of cricket. It’s a pretty cool week.”
