Australia middle-order batter Travis Head dismissed any divide in the Test team after their heavy loss to India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25) series opener. Travis Head said that he is confident in the Pat Cummins-led team bouncing back in the second Test match to level the ongoing series.
Earlier, captain Pat Cummins denied any rift within the Australian team. Speculation arose following Josh Hazlewood’s comment during a press conference after Day 3 of the first Test. When asked about Australia’s strategy for a challenging run chase, Hazlewood replied, “You have to ask the batters.”
It Can Be Put To Bed – Travis Head
Speaking at Adelaide Oval ahead of the second Test, Travis Head said that there is mutual trust between the batting and bowling groups. He stated the importance of setting a solid foundation for bowlers to capitalize on. The South Australian reiterated that the team remains united.
“It can be put to bed. We hold high expectations for both sides (batting and bowling) and it’s a very individualized sport. So batters, we want to hold our own – we know how good our bowlers have been for us in the past and they’ve got us out of trouble a lot,” Head told reporters.
“As a batting group, we know that if we get enough runs on the board, we put ourselves in a great position. As a batter myself, I try to take a whole lot of pride in what I do, and knowing that if I can set it up for the big boys, that they can knock it down for us, so definitely no divide,” he added.
This Team Has Dealt With Adversity Well – Travis Head
Travis Head acknowledged their poor performance in the first Test but emphasized the team’s focus on the remaining four matches. Head pointed out that many teams have rebounded after early setbacks in a series.
“This team has dealt with adversity well. The small amount that we have had in the last three or four years, we have played well. We’ve had some challenging times and a couple of challenging Tests last year that we’re able to get ourselves out of … it’s a group that is well balanced and knows where it’s at,” Head said.
“We didn’t have a very good week. That’s fine. But we have got four more opportunities to do it, we will crack on as we do, as we have done for the last few years. As a team we’ve been good for a period of time – we had a bad week. Over the last couple of years, there’s a lot of teams that lost the first Test or gone down in the series and brought it back and played really well.”
Second Test Between India and Australia to Commence on December 6
The home team suffered a 295-run loss to India in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Travis Head was Australia’s best performer, scoring a quick 89 in the second innings before being dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah. Head was the only half-centurion from the Australian side in the recent match.
Australia aims to rebound in the Adelaide Test starting December 6, following their loss to India in the series opener. Australia secured an eight-wicket victory when the two teams played the last pink-ball Test in Adelaide. India was bowled out for 36 runs, their lowest-ever total in Test cricket during the match.
Also read: Watch: Shubman Gill makes stunning comeback from injury but walks back after solid 50