New Delhi: Travis Head’s bold approach has succeeded in letting him dominate Jasprit Bumrah while other Australian batters have failed to defend against the star Indian pacer in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series, Greg Chappell has pointed out.
Head and Bumrah have been the standout players for Australia and India, respectively in the five-match series that is currently level at 1-1 after three matches.
While Head is the leading scorer in the series with 409 runs, at an average of 81.80 with two hundreds and a fifty, Bumrah has claimed 21 wickets at an average of 10.90.
Both have shaken off injury scares and will be expected to spearhead their teams’ charge at the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Their duels have been fascinating though Chappell believes Head has been successful in nullifying Bumrah.
‘Fearless’
“Head’s performances against Jasprit Bumrah in this series exemplify his fearless approach,” Chappell wrote in a column for the Sydney Morning Herald.
“While most batsmen struggle to survive Bumrah’s unorthodox action, sharp pace, and relentless accuracy, Head has treated him like any other bowler.”
Bumrah has dismissed head two times in the series so far. Head scored 89 in the second innings of the first match at Perth, following it up with 141 at Adelaide and 152 at Brisbane.
Former Australia skipper Chappell credited Head’s aggressive approach to unsettle right armer Bumrah.
“By playing with intent and looking to score off Bumrah, Head has not only nullified his threat but also disrupted his rhythm. His ability to dispatch short deliveries with authority and drive fuller ones with precision has been remarkable, underscoring the strides he has made,” he said.
Chappell is so impressed by Head’s ability and rapid progress in the last three years that he tipped to be led Australia in the future.
“I believe Travis to be the most improved batter in world cricket in the past three years and in becoming so, has firmed in favouritism to be the next Australian captain,” he added.
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