It got confirmed on Wednesday that Test cricket-batter Travis Head has been declared fit for participation in the Boxing Day Test against India, meaning a huge boost for Australia while Scott Boland was confirmed as the replacement for injured Josh Hazlewood. Head is an aggressive number five batsman and his currently the leading run-getter in this five-match series by scoring centuries at both Adelaide and Brisbane. He picked up a minor thigh strain at the Gabba; there have been lingering concerns over his fitness; but skipper Pat Cummins stated that the left-hander was absolutely fine.
“Trav is good to go, so he will play. He just ticked off some final things today and yesterday,” said Cummins. “No stress, no worries about injury for Trav, so he will go into the game fully fit.
“I don’t think you’ll see too much management of him through the game. Maybe around fielding if he’s a bit uncomfortable, but he’s fully fit,” he added.
Head has slapped up 409 runs in these first three Tests at a blistering average of 81.80 and has taken over the mantle of tormentor from the rest of the Australian batsmen, who have succumbed to the threats posed by pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
“It feels like the last 12 months he’s been in this unbelievable vein of form and he just keeps going,” said Cummins, in his appraisal of Head.
“He really managed to strike the ball cleanly, transferring pressure on the opposition from the very first ball that he steps out there into the field.”
“I’m glad that he is a part of our squad. Long may it continue!”
The five-match series stands at 1-1 after India thrashed them by 295 runs in Perth and then lost at Adelaide by ten wickets. The downpour turned the third Test in Brisbane into a draw.
Cummins announced two changes, as expected with seamer Boland in for the injured Hazlewood by the team.
Teenage opener Sam Konstas had already been locked in to make his debut as Nathan McSweeney’s replacement.
Now the youngest will have turned out for Australia, at 19, all in the name of test cricket since Cummins first set foot on the field against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2011.
“I just remember being really excited and it’s the same for Sam this week,” said Cummins while also reminiscing about his debut with the national team.
A bit of innocence behind “I’ve just dumped up out front; you just want to go play like you did when a kid in the backyard, you want to take it on and have fun, not overthink it. That’s the message for Sam.”
Australia’s Playing XI: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
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