Travis Head announced his return from injury with a swashbuckling hundred against New Zealand in the World Cup 2023 clash on Saturday, October 28. The star opener recorded 109 runs off just 67 balls in his World Cup debut game to help Australia score 388 runs at Dharamsala's HPCA Stadium.
The 29-year-old left-handed batter continued his red-hot form and showed no signs of rustiness on his return from a hand injury. Head and David Warner pulled off 175 runs for the opening wicket in the first 20 overs with the former smashing his maiden World Cup hundred in just 59 balls.
Head's record-laden knock also drove him past India's Rohit Sharma to achieve the fastest hundred in ODI World Cup history as an opener. Indian skipper smashed a 63-ball hundred against Afghanistan in this edition to break Matthew Hayden's previous record for the quickest century by opener.
Fastest hundred by opener in ODI World Cup history:
- Travis Head - 59 balls vs New Zealand in 2023
- Rohit Sharma - 63 balls vs Afghanistan in 2023
- Matthew Hayden - 66 balls vs South Africa in 2007
- John Davison - 67 balls vs West Indies in 2003
- Paul Stirling - 70 balls vs Netherlands in 2011
Head also broke the record of the fastest hundred on an ODI World Cup debut previously held by South Africa's David Miller (81-ball century against Zimbabwe in 2015). Apart from Head, Warner and Pat Cummins also played impressive knocks to help Australia score a 350-plus total in the third successive game in the World Cup 2023.
Australia Playing XI: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
New Zealand Playing XI: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c & wk), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
