BGT 2024 – Gabba – Travis Head beats India like only he can

India had reason to try more traditional lengths on this Gabba pitch. Even after 54 overs, Akash Deep allowed the ball to bounce past the shoulder of Smith’s bat. Normal Test match bowling worked in Brisbane…as long as Head wasn’t the one struggling with it. This is where his talent lies Blow a cricket ball – not hitting it under his eyes, not defending it close to his body, but Blow it – does it. It breaks a game in two.

Morkel was still talking about getting Head out, but the way to accomplish that had changed from targeting him to tying him up. India were at a deep point very early in Head’s innings. They had discovered that, unlike most left-handers they encountered, he enjoyed the ball coming into him around the wicket. “Our plan for this game was to throw a bit more over the wickets just to get a straighter line,” Morkel said.

Australia scored 130 runs in an over of 4.8 in the middle session with Head scoring 80 of them to reach his fourth century against India in all formats. Bumrah went to a bouncer and actually cramped it once, but Head corrected himself by leaning back from the ball and simply letting it bounce off the face of his bat, which he had set up like a ramp. It was a delicious intention.

The ball that most people think will bring him down simply flew off the middle of his racket when thrown by one of the best players in the world. In this way, Head silences the opponents. Not only does he score runs, he scores them quickly and often against balls that aren’t all that bad.

“The way he can put the bowlers under pressure right from the start is just unbelievable,” said Smith, another century-maker and his 241-run partner. “You know, he has an incredible eye and the areas where he scores, it’s hard to get fielders in those positions.”

“You know, you see them highlighting the deep point and stuff, but he just finds ways to just put it behind him. “Yeah, he’s hitting great, he’s confident and it’s nice to be partnered with him because the scoreboard moves extremely.” And I was in the shed with him at the time and he said, ‘Man, that was quick today.’ “

Ravindra Jadeja thought he had left Head behind in the 55th over. It was a beautiful ball that turned around the wicket against the angle into the batsman. But he couldn’t throw it again. One of the most accurate spinners in the world couldn’t back up a good ball with another good ball because when he tried, he was hit for two consecutive boundaries, forcing Jadeja to throw darts. Head met them with ease, without delay and with all the time in the world. He had distracted the bowler from what he wanted to do and made his life easier seconds after getting into trouble.

India were not at their best on Saturday. Morkel admitted that there is still a lot of work to be done in bowling between the 30th and 50th overs and that getting the length right at the Gabba was a bit of a challenge. They had a scare when Mohammed Siraj grabbed his left knee and walked off the field (he came back, however). As they waited for the second new ball, changed bowlers just before tea and lost three fours in twelve balls, they turned to Bumrah sooner than they would have liked. He had two balls to warm up. With every ball, every over, every session, Head kept pushing India to the brink and now they are faltering.