The way he has been batting for the last couple of years, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Travis Head has become the first batsman to hit a century in a World Test Championship final.
In the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Head was inexplicably dropped from the XI for the first Test in Nagpur, which Australia lost heavily.
Recalled for the second Test in Delhi, Head scored 12 and 43 (in the first and second innings).
The 29-year-old played a key part in the visitors winning the third Test on a treacherous Indore pitch and then drawing the fourth and final game in Ahmedabad. He scored 9 and 49 not out in the third Test and then chipped in with 32 and 90 in the fourth and final Test.
Quizzed on whether that Nagpur axing acted as motivation, Head said, “It (being dropped) honestly doesn’t faze me. (I’m) very privileged to be where I am and do what I do. We’ve got a very strong squad of guys. Selection isn’t always going to go your way. It hasn’t in the past, that’s out of my control. All I can do is be as consistent as I can be on the field, (and) off the field enjoy myself,” he said. Head did say that he would “hopefully not get dropped too much in future.”
“Yes, I’d love to play every Test but that won’t always be the case. That gives a good perspective to moments like this. Hopefully I don’t get dropped too much in the future, but it will definitely happen. It doesn’t give me extra fuel. I know certain decisions haven’t gone my way in the past but I feel like I (have) got a fair bit to contribute to this team and (am) valued,” he said.
Talking about his partnership with Smith, Head said, “Batting with him feels like you are in the shadows. You can sneak under the radar and go about your business.”
