Inspired by England’s daredevilry in Pakistan, Australian batter Travis Head will shun his conservative approach on spinning pitches and enter the Test series against India with an aim to dominate the opposition bowling attack.
India and Australia will face off in the upcoming four-Test Gavaskar-Border Trophy, starting with the opener on February 9.
“Watching the way England played in Pakistan, I’ve probably looked back and wasn’t as positive as I’d like to be against spin in those series,” Head was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald ahead of the team’s departure for India.
“I feel like the way I played throughout this series against spin – I know it’s completely different being in Australia – but the more positive I am, the better I am with my feet and the better I am in defence.”
Travis Head goes BANG! 💥 #BBL12 pic.twitter.com/dmeWPgKBbR
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 24, 2023
“We’ve seen that with fast bowling this summer. When I hunt the ball, my front foot defence is probably the best it’s been and I think I’ve got to go over there with a positive mindset, not a defensive one.” In his three previous series in Asia, against Pakistan in 2018 and 2022 and Sri Lanka last year, Head has struggled to put the bowlers under slow bowlers.
His past outings in the sub-continent fetched him 213 runs from 11 innings at 21.30.
“I think I may have been a bit on the defensive side in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which you’ve always got a ball on your name over there,” Head said.
“But get over there, we’ve got a long time to get settled over there, and get the lay of the land and understand what my role might be. It could be low-scoring, it could be high-scoring, you might need to get big scores, or a 40, 50, 60 might win you a Test match.”
Handscomb in reckoning for Nagpur Test
Australia are mulling the option of bringing back Peter Handscomb to bat in the middle-order for his ability to play spin, if Cameron Green does not recover in time for their series opener against India from February 9, head coach and selector Andrew McDonald indicated.
Recovering from a fractured finger, seam-bowling all-rounder Green is also named in the Test squad alongside Handscomb.
“He’s really important,” McDonald was quoted saying in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Peter Handscomb goes through some glovework. He will be back-up keeper in India #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/oSpWGJNkZc
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) January 29, 2023
“It’s been well documented over a period of time that his play against spin is excellent, and we feel as though he’s returned probably to what he was producing two or three years ago.” Both Handscomb and Green are undergoing batting practices on tailor-made “scarified” pitches in the sultry conditions of Bon Andrews Oval in North Sydney for them to experience match simulation ahead of the four-Test series that will determine their World Test Championship Final qualification.
Handscomb was also a member of their last tour to India in 2017. He also provides the utility value by doubling up as a wicketkeeper.
“Lots of runs in Shield cricket on those slower surfaces as well. He’s able to keep as well, so it gives us every option for Josh (Inglis) not to be there and if anything were to happen to Alex Carey, there’s flexibility there, but also in close fielder as well, bat pad, highly valued when you tour the subcontinent.
“We see him as an important right-hand option. Got a lot of left-handers, so very important right-hand option for us. If there were to be any late changes, or Cameron Green doesn’t make that first Test, we feel we have some good options.
“We value his (Green) batting first and foremost really, he’s a batter in our top six and we value that, his bowling is a bonus,” McDonald added. “Where he’s positioned at the moment, his biggest challenge is bowling. There is a lack of loading there, and it’s one of the key reasons around us getting into this camp and this mode early.
“He’s got to consult with the surgeon again tomorrow, and that’s about the four-week mark, where he should be given a tick of approval that that bone has healed. I don’t want to speak medical terms here, but basically after that, it should be just building him up and see how he goes each session.”
“Building confidence is the main thing, setting him up to succeed in that first Test match, having a good enough time, that will be the critical question,” the coach added.
Australia also had their injured paceman Mitchell Starc back in the training and he is likely to arrive late for the tour ahead of the second Test in Delhi.
McDonald also hailed North Sydney Oval curator Kieran Meurant, who prepared a pitch similar to the ones in India.
“We feel as though out there the surfaces we got are very similar to what we’re going to confront in India, which is very difficult to replicate,” McDonald said.
“But we feel as though we’ve got close to that, so the ground staff have done a fantastic job.”
To improve current education system we need to pay attention to every small issue: Manish Sisodia