Travis Head: An Invaluable Asset in Australia's Quest of Sixth ODI World Cup Title
IND vs AUS: Travis Head raising his bat during a century (Twitter/FoxCricket)
The long awaited ODI World Cup to be held in India is around the corner and two of the top contenders of that marquee event, India and Australia are now all set to lock horns in a three-match ODI series. This series is a great opportunity for both the teams to test out their arsenal against a top-ranked team in the very same conditions they will face in the World Cup later this year.
The series is even more crucial for Australia who would be looking to sort out their combination and game plan in Indian conditions and a good performance in this series could go a long way in boosting their confidence. Aussies do have plenty of quality at their disposal but if you have to choose one player who could be a huge asset for Australia in the upcoming ODI series and the World Cup ahead it will be the in-form Southpaw - TRAVIS HEAD.
Let's look at some few pointers that make Travis Head such an invaluable asset in an Australian team full of superstars.
Stupendous form in recent times
Travis Head has been one of Australia's most prolific run-getters in ODI and Test cricket in 2022. He is a naturally aggressive batter and has played that way in both ODI and Test cricket in recent times which is what Australia would exactly need on high-scoring grounds in India.
He scored 550 runs in 9 ODI games in 2022 hitting two centuries and three fifties along the way. In his last ODI game, he smashed 152 off just 130 balls at the 'G' (MCG) and with him scoring runs in recently held Test series too, we can expect Head to continue on his merry ways.
The nature of Indian pitches and his batting position
Travis Head is a versatile batter and has the ability to bat at any position in the batting order but Australia have been using him at the top of the order in recent times and that makes him a big asset in Indian conditions.
There were some huge scores been put on the board when India last played New Zealand and Sri Lanka at home. The top order batters got big daddy hundreds and it has almost become paramount for the top orders batters to score runs and score them quickly to post a stiff challenge for the opposition on flat decks in India. Thus, Travis Head with his current form and flamboyance is an ideal fit to play that crucial top order role for Australia.
Stability and underrated all-round skills
A cricketer's career is full of ups and downs and almost every cricketer strive for that moment of stability in his career where he gains the confidence of his teammates and team management and can confidently claim a regular place in the national side.
IND vs AUS: Head opened with Aaron Finch in England in 2018 (Twitter/cricketcomau)
That moment of stability is finally here for Travis Head. The retirement of Aaron Finch has opened a permanent place for him at the top of the order and the man has shown in the last year or so that, he has all that it takes to succeed at the international level. The journey has been long and it has taken him six years or so since making his international debut to stake his claim for a permanent spot in the Aussie playing XI with a big smile.
Another aspect of Travis Head's game is his ability to bowl handy off-breaks. This is an important aspect of his game that is underrated and could play a crucial part in Indian conditions as it provides his captain more options to control the game in the middle overs in Indian conditions.
India had the same kind of options in the 2011 World Cup where many of their top order batters could chip in with handy overs of spin bowling and it could well prove decisive in this World Cup too.
Thus, all these factors make Travis Head an invaluable asset in Australia's quest for another world title and it could all begin with another stellar performance in the three-match ODI series starting at the financial capital of India - Mumbai.
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