.jpg?type=hq)
Travis Head (Source: AFP)
A couple of days back, I discussed the opening crisis and the conundrum Aussies have been going through given the absence of former batting maestro David Warner and ageing Usman Khawaja. Australia have experimented with a lot of changes in opening pair since Warner hung his boots in Test cricket after the three-match home series against Pakistan.
Meanwhile, a successful and stable opening pair has still been a puzzle to solve for the Aussie think tank. From Sam Konstas to Jake Weatherald, they have also looked into domestic cricket to fill in the spot for the national side in the Tests.
Amidst all this, the silent rise of the blistering batter Travis Head as a Test opener has emerged a major sigh of relief for Australia. He has been a crucial asset for them while opening the innings in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 against England.
That said, here I’ll take you to the journey of the facts and analysis that justifies Head as a stable opener for Australia and a like-to-like replacement either for Warner or Khawaja.
Living up to the expectations in Ashes 2025-26
In the ongoing edition, Head played at number five in the first innings of the Test series opener in Perth, in which he scored 21 off 35 balls before getting caught by Brydo Carse off Ben Stokes. Furthermore, he proved his mettle just in the second innings when he was asked to open the innings with Jake Weatherald.
Batting at number one, he smashed a swashbuckling century, scoring 123 runs off just 83 balls, with 16 fours and four sixes, registering an unbelievable strike rate of 148.19. Following that, he also gave the quick starts with an intent in both the innings of the recently concluded Day-Night Test in Brisbane, scoring 33 and 22 runs, respectively.
Travis Head as opener in Ashes 2025-26
| Criterion | Data |
| Innings | 3 |
| Runs | 178 |
| Average | 59,3 |
| Strike Rate | 120.3 |
| 50s | 0 |
| 100s | 1 |
While opening the innings in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26, Head has scored 178 runs in three innings, with an amazing batting average of 59.3 and a blistering strike rate of 120.3, hitting a century.
So, it will not be an overstatement to admit that the southpaw has fully lived up to the expectations of the management and the trust they’ve invested in him during the time of crisis.
Overall credentials testifies eligibility as Test opener
In his more than seven-year-long and 62-match Test career, Head has opened the innings in 11 out of the 105 innings he batted in his career. He has a better batting average and strike rate as an opener compared to his numbers while batting in the middle-order.
Travis Head as opener in Tests
| Criterion | Data |
| Innings | 11 |
| Runs | 499 |
| Average | 49.9 |
| Strike Rate | 91.6 |
| 50s | 2 |
| 100s | 1 |
Travis Head as middle-order batter in Tests
| Criterion | Data |
| Innings | 94 |
| Runs | 3,647 |
| Average | 41.0 |
| Strike Rate | 66.6 |
| 50s | 18 |
| 100s | 9 |
While opening the innings on 11 occasions in his Test career, the 31-year-old has scored 499 runs, with a brilliant average of 49.9. He has registered a strike rate of 91.6, hitting two half-centuries and a century. Batting at number one, he has scored 240 runs in six innings, averaging 40.0 and an amazing strike rate of 109.1 including a century.
On the other hand, he has also been very effective at number two in opening, scoring 259 runs in five innings, with an amazing average of 64.8, hitting two half-centuries.
Speaking of his numbers as a middle-order batter in Tests, Head has aggregated 3,647 runs in 94 innings, with an average of 41.0, 8.9 less than his average as an opener and a strike rate of 66.6, which his exact 25.0 less than the one he has managed as an opener.
Conclusion: A time to trust in Head-Weatherald duo as stable opening pair
From the long-time opening pair of Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer to the experiments like Hayden-Jacques, Hayden-Katich to the stable pair of Warner and Khawaja, Australia have a legacy of getting stuck to the plan of having left-handed openers in Tests.
Apart from Head, Weatherald has also shown good promise while opening the innings in the first four innings of his Test career, scoring 112 runs with an average of 37.33 and a strike rate of 81.75, hitting a half-century. So, another left-handed opening opening pair of Travis Head and Jake Weatherald could be a perfect fit to carry this Australian legacy.
