On the second day of the first Test at the Gabba on Thursday, Travis Head smashed the third-fastest century in Ashes history with the bat, crushing England’s hopes.
On the second day of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba, Travis Head smashed the third-fastest century in the history of the Ashes. At the conclusion of play, Australia had amassed a 343-7 total, a margin of 196 runs over England’s pitiful 147 for the first innings. On another depressing day for England in Brisbane, Head was on 112 with Mitchell Starc, who was not out 10. Ollie Robinson’s two wickets in a row after tea gave England hope of a comeback, but Joe Head’s combative innings put an end to that. After a controversial recall to the Australian team, the 27-year-old Head proved his worth by scoring a century off just 85 balls.
Adam Gilchrist’s 56-ball century in Perth in 2006 and Gilbert Jessop’s 76-ball tonne at The Oval in 1902 are the two other Ashes centuries he has surpassed.
It’s taken me a while to process what just happened,” Head remarked. “I’m still pinching myself.”
I took a few risks, but I was confident in my abilities both technically and mentally, he explained later.
“The first 20 runs were difficult for me, but the game opened up and I was able to seize the chances,” said the batsman.
Head attacked early and was particularly severe on England’s spinners, including captain Joe Root.
After Steve Smith edged Mark Wood to keeper Jos Buttler shortly before tea, Head walked to the crease with Australia 189-3.
After the break, he witnessed David Warner (94) and Cameron Green depart to Robinson’s precise seamers, with Australia still 89 runs ahead of the United States.
Warner had a good start, winning the first two sessions by a landslide.
Ben Stokes bowled him before lunch, Rory Burns dropped him in the first over after lunch, and Haseeb Hameed fumbled a straightforward run-out.
Fortunately for Warner, he was out when Stokes bowled him for 17, but the all-rounder overstepped, giving the Australian opener a huge reprieve.
Stokes also overstepped on the first three balls of his over, but the umpires didn’t call a single one.
In the end, it turned out that the no-ball drama was largely due to technological glitches.
All of England’s chances had to be seized to keep their hopes alive following Wednesday’s catastrophic start when they were bowled out in just 50.1 dreadful overs.
The first wicket for Robinson, Marcus Harris, with the score at 10 gave them a good start.
Even Australian captain Pat Cummins was taken aback by England’s decision to omit seamers Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad for the first Test.
It was Robinson, Woakes, and Wood’s seam attack that was able to keep the Australian batsmen in check early on, thanks to their precise bowling.
Dawid Malan got the breakthrough by taking a fine low catch at second slip off the dangerous Robinson after he induced Harris to go forward on a ball that left him slightly.
Coach Jon Lewis was full of praise for England’s seamers, especially Robinson, but he stressed they needed to be more consistent in their bowling.
According to him, there was “some really fantastic stuff, but we needed to be a lot more consistent, and there were occasions when the Australians were on top of us” in this tournament.
That’s what I’m saying: “Robinson threatened all the way through… I think the Australian batsmen found him difficult to play.”
Warner and Marnus Labuschagne consolidated after Harris’ early exit, but Labuschagne sliced an attempted cut-off Leach to Wood at a backward point late in the second session to fall for 74. Warner and Marnus Labuschagne.
In the last over of the second session, Wood, who bowled with tremendous velocity throughout the day, gave England some cheer by removing the dangerous Smith, who had been England’s tormentor all day.
Even when Warner smacked a short Robinson ball to Stokes at short cover after tea, England must have had some faith in Warner’s ability to hit the ball hard enough to get it to Stokes.
Head, on the other hand, quickly put an end to that with his swashbuckling inning.
