Former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting showered accolades on Travis Head for his exceptional century against India on Day 1 of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final at The Oval in London. Head, along with Steve Smith, played a crucial role in stabilizing the Australian innings after early setbacks, forming a magnificent 251-run partnership. Head’s stellar knock of 146 runs off 156 balls, including 22 boundaries and a six, left Ponting highly impressed.
Drawing comparisons, Ponting placed Head in the same league as legendary wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist. He commended Head’s solid strike rate, which continues to enhance his confidence with every game. Ponting also highlighted Head’s remarkable consistency over the past two years.
“In fact, he is probably scoring quicker now than Gilly ever did. His strike rate through this WTC qualification period is 81, which is higher than anyone else in the world to have scored more than 500 runs,” expressed Ponting to the ICC.
Ponting emphasized that Head’s ability to score boundaries early in his innings puts pressure back on the bowlers, a quality desired from middle-order players. He lauded the southpaw’s remarkable performance over the past two years and acknowledged his growing confidence and rising strike rate.
As Australia prepares for their second innings, Ponting advised India’s bowling attack to execute their plans flawlessly against Head. He cautioned that Head is quick to dispatch loose deliveries, urging India to make adjustments based on their first innings’ bowling approach.
“I think when he first comes in, you need to execute perfectly. It is no good trying to over-attack him because if you bowl any bad ball, he is going to put it away. They will learn from how they bowled to him in the first innings and make adjustments in the second,” Ponting remarked.
Travis Head’s remarkable century in the WTC final has not only earned him praise from one of Australia’s greatest cricketers but has also elevated expectations for his future performances. As the match progresses, all eyes will be on Head to see if he can continue his impressive form and guide Australia towards victory.
