After being utterly outplayed in the first two games and falling behind 0-2 they dramatically improved in the third and fourth Tests. Head scored 90 runs on Monday to lead Australia to safety as they began the fifth day still 91 runs behind India’s first-innings total, mocking the selectors’ decision to bench him for the first game.
When Australia revealed their starting lineup for the first Test, Head was a shocking omission, with the selectors favouring Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb in the middle order. Handscomb competed well and scored runs, but the Renshaw choice backfired, and Head was reinstated right away.
During the third and fourth Tests, the left-hander was moved up to the top of the order, when he really started to shine, scoring a series-high 12, 43, 9, 49 not out, 32, and 90 runs. Former Test captain Clarke said it was “unbelievable” that Head didn’t play in the first Test when discussing Head’s performances on Monday.
Travis Head has been Australia’s star performer in the series since David Warner left for home, Warner in the team at first place was a big mistake, going with experience and not with form pushed Australia behind in the series.
In a series like Border Gavaskar Trophy, the trivial pursuits don’t matter much, Head was doing well, there was no point in opening with Warner who just didn’t know what to do in these sort of conditions, yes, he has been an IPL legend but test cricket is a different phenomenon.
“Has somebody come out and said, ‘We got it wrong’ yet? Everyone came out at the time and said, ‘We made the right decision’, is it still the right decision to have not picked Travis Head in the first Test match?” Michael Clarke said during a TV show.
“Being a selector is a tough gig, don’t get me wrong, but we have to admit we got it wrong in not picking Steve Smith in our Twenty20 World Cup campaign, 100 per cent we got that wrong and 100 per cent we got it wrong not picking Travis Head in the first Test match. So, no coincidence we lost both.
“We lost the T20 World Cup, underperformed, and we had every opportunity when you look at this Test series gone by, no matter how tough the wicket has been. We could’ve won the series. That’s how close it should’ve been.
“Can you imagine as well Travis Head, a senior player, he’s captained South Australia, his record in the last 12 months outstanding, No.4 ranked Test batter in the world, imagine the shock he would have got being told he’s not being picked and he’s around the group as well. Everybody would have been going, ‘What has just happened here?’. We shot ourselves in the foot.”