For the second home Ashes in a row, Travis Head started off the series with a record-setting century. He scored 123(83) en route to Australia’s 8-wicket win.
Travis Head continued his tendency to deliver in the clutch moments for Australia, saving his best for when the going gets tough and the pressure is on. With Australia set to chase 205 in a low-scoring opening Test of the Ashes in Perth, Head was promoted to the top of the order and he rose to the occasion with a record-setting 69-ball century. On a pitch that wasn’t too kind to the batters, Australia chased down the 205-run target in just 28.2 overs with 8 wickets in hand as the first Ashes Test ended inside two days.
Head has been Australiaβs go-to opener in limited-overs cricket, as well as in certain matches in subcontinental conditions. However, when it comes to matches on home soil, he has been preferred to bat in the middle order. In fact, this was the first time Head was sent as an opener in a home Test. This hardly mattered during the chase in Perth, as he looked to be batting on a completely different surface to the rest of the players to bring up his 10th Test century.
Head was promoted to attack and put the pressure right back on England after they were bowled out inside 35 overs on Day 2. Head whacked 16 fours and 4 sixes en route to his blistering century to set them up for a victory.