IND vs AUS: Australia's left-handed batter Travis Head is pleased with his batting in the second Test match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Delhi. Head, who was promoted as an opener for the first time in his Test career, scored a fighting 43 in Australia's otherwise poor outing in the second innings. After being 61/1 at stumps on Day 2, the Aussies were bowled out for 113 on Day 3.
Speaking on his performance in Delhi, Head said, "They’re extremely skilful bowlers, but I was really pleased with the way I was going forward and back and watching length and a few of the things I’d worked on. It was a small sample piece but over here small sample pieces can be a little bit of gold."
Meanwhile, the Southpaw also acknowledged that bouncing back in the series is a big challenge for his team now. "I think the communication and the relationships that we’ve built is why this team has been so strong and why this team has stayed together for a period of time. We’re always gonna have moments that aren’t the greatest or isn’t the best we want it. Those things happen. We accept them but we’ve also got to find a way to get better at it, to try and limit them as much as we possibly can because no one wants them. But it’s a challenge for us over the next couple of weeks, when we find ourselves in moments, how can we draw it back. When it’s a full stadium and there’s noise going and wickets falling, how we can draw that back," he added.
Head opens up on conversation after now playing in the first Test
Coming into India, Head was in brilliant form. He registered scores of 99 and 175 vs West Indies in Australia's home test series, before hitting three more fifty-plus scores against the Proteas in Australia. Though, he was not picked in the side, possibly due to the threat the Nagpur pitch posed for the left-handers. But Head has opened up on his conversations with the selectors after not getting picked in the series opener. “It was something that I didn’t expect coming here,” Head said in a media interaction here on not making the playing XI in Nagpur.
“The conversations were robust. Everyone has different opinions. I respect the coaching staff and selectors and I have a really strong relationship with them. I think that’s what made the conversations the way they went, because there’s respect that goes both ways and we were able to voice our opinions. And I woke up the next morning and I’m still on tour playing for Australia, I still get to do what I love to do. I’d love to be competing and playing but there’s another way I can support the guys the best I could and prepare the best way I could for another opportunity. I still feel like I’m in a great space. It’s just one week that didn’t go my way," he said.
