Analysing Travis Head's Batting Technique: How Can England Counter Australia's Run-Machine?

Travis Head is in sensational form [X]

Travis Head's rise in international cricket has been incredible, to say the least. Regarded as one of the cleanest strikers of the ball, Head has been Australia's biggest asset across formats. Besides giving sleepless nights to the bowlers in Tests, the explosive southpaw has emerged as one of the most feared openers in white-ball cricket. 

His remarkable power-hitting was yet again on display during Australia's first One-Day International against England at Trent Bridge. After England posted a competitive 315-run total on the board, Australia made a mockery of the target, chasing it comfortably in 44 overs. 

Why Is Travis Head A Threat To England?

(Travis Head in ODIs since 2022)

Travis Head was instrumental in Australia's clinical win over England in the first ODI. Opening the batting, Head hammered 154 runs off just 129 deliveries, paving the way for the visitors' resounding victory. 

The swashbuckling southpaw has been in sublime form in the 50-over format since 2022, as evidenced by the aforementioned stats. Besides capitalising on the powerplay, Head has converted almost half of his fifties into impactful hundreds, making himself a genuine threat to the opposition. 

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How Does Travis Head Torment The Opposition?

(Travis Head's performance in the powerplay in ODIs since 2022)

Despite having some obvious flaws in his batting technique, Travis Head has succeeded as an opener in international cricket, thanks to his aggressive mindset and knack for stepping up on big occasions. The left-handed batter efficiently uses the powerplay field restrictions in his favour, scoring lots of runs by going aerial in the initial phase. 

If the bowlers offer him the slightest of width, Head frees his arms without thinking much about the outcome. He understands his role at the top and focuses only on playing an attacking brand of cricket, irrespective of the playing conditions. 

What Are The Flaws In Travis Head's Batting Technique?

Travis Head lacks decisive feet movement [X]

Travis Head enjoys playing shots freely all around the park. So, if the ball is either too full or too short, the Australian batter comfortably deposits it into the fence. All he needs is muscular power to smash such deliveries. He goes over the in-field or the bowler's head if it's over-pitched. Similarly, if it's too short, he targets the mid-wicket and square leg region to collect boundaries. 

However, Head finds it challenging to attack if the bowler hits the good length and brings the ball back into him. This is precisely because he doesn't move his feet much and gets caught in the crease while tackling such deliveries. 

Does hard-length bowling from over the wicket trouble Head? No, it doesn't. In fact, this strategy works in Head's favour as it allows him to use the depth of the crease and muscle the ball on either side of the pitch. 

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How Can England Dismiss Travis Head? 

Method 1: Bowl from around the wicket, cramp Head for room

Given Travis Head's technical limitations, the powerplay is the best phase to dismiss him because the bowlers can exploit his flaws by moving the new ball. They should come around the wicket straightaway for him and nullify any scoring opportunity through the off side. 

From around the wicket, the pacers should bring the ball back into Head and make him play at it. They should pitch the ball around the off stump and move it subtly into or away from him to induce a false shot off his bat. However, the ball shouldn't be too full or short in any case, as it would allow Head to free his arms and get momentum. 

Method 2: Test Head with bouncers around his left shoulder

Bouncing the batters out is one of the most traditional techniques in the history of cricket. Being someone with an indecisive back foot movement, Travis Head is certainly prone to bouncer. 

However, if the bowler doesn't have enough pace, Head can dispatch his bouncers to the stands. But on the contrary, if someone like Jofra Archer, who operates at a rapid pace, tests him with bouncers around his left shoulder, he might fall into his trap. 

So, England can keep a deep square leg and ask Archer to bowl bouncers outside his eye-line from around the stumps, as it could be an effective way to neutralise Australia's run-machine. 

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