Aim is to put my team in good position whenever I walk to bat, reveals Travis Head
Travis Head, who scored his first Shield century in two seasons against New South Wales on Saturday, has asserted that his job as a batsman is to score big runs every time he walks in to bat. After getting dropped in the fifth Ashes Test, Head is now on a quest to return to the Test side.
After starting the Sheffield Shield season off with scores of 51, 0 and 12, the pressure was mounting on Travis Head, who was desperately looking for big runs to get back in the Test setup after getting dropped for the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval. And on Saturday, his prayers were finally answered as the South Australian skipper struck an impeccable century against a strong New South Wales attack comprising the likes of Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon.
The ton was also Head's first Shield century in two seasons and speaking about it post Day 2, the Australian Test vice-captain revealed that his job is to score big runs every time he walks in to bat and that he aims to put his team in a position of strength with his batting whenever he takes the crease. He also credited the NSW bowlers for their consistency and shed light on the conditions that were tough for batting.
"It's my job. It's great to get a hundred. It's what I want to be doing whenever I go out to bat. That's the aim, to put my team in good positions," Head was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
"It's a high-class bowling attack. They bowled very well at me and I had to grind it out. It wasn't pretty at times. Josh bowled extremely well and had me under pressure throughout the day. It was good to get through that initial period with the new-ball and then spend time out there," he added.
Despite being the vice-captain of the side, Head was replaced by Mitchell Marsh in the fifth Ashes Test and the move came as a shock to many, who felt that the South Australian was hard done by. Spotted taking a walk in the park with coach Justin Langer, Head revealed that the duo had constructive conversations about his place in the team, where he stands and what he needs to do. Head also expressed his disappointment on being dropped for The Oval Test.
"It was just us (Head and Langer) chatting about how the tour's gone and the decision why I wasn't going to play. It was making sure we are crystal clear on what was going on and obviously I was disappointed about missing out. So we were just chatting about how things are going and things I can get better at and things that are going well. We had plenty of chats during the series and we continue to now," the 25-year-old explained.
Having been named in the Australia A side to take on Pakistan in the warm-up game before the Tests, Head will have one final shot to impress the selectors and earn his place back in the side. However, the South Australian revealed that he has been unfazed by the occasion and admitted that he had no control over selection. Head also heaped praise on his good friend Alex Carey who was named as the captain of Australia A side to take on Pakistan.
"No control over it (selection). That question will be asked in a few weeks. That hasn't fazed me too much. It's great that Kez (Carey) gets an opportunity. He's someone in whom JL and the selectors see a lot of potential in and it's hard not to. He's an unbelievable leader. Hopefully, I'll room with him during the week and help him out if he needs it. I'm sure he'll be fine though and I won't have to worry about doing anything and just focus on batting and getting runs."
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