‘Incredible to witness’: Head’s stunning century fires Australia to victory in Ashes opener

Perth: Pat Cummins says he’s never loved a bloke more. Usman Khawaja reckons they’re the best back spasms he’s ever had.

Australia’s dressing room watched in disbelief as makeshift opener Travis Head launched one of the great Ashes innings, a blistering 69-ball century that propelled Australia to a famous eight-wicket win in Perth – and cost Cricket Australia an estimated $4 million in lost ticket revenue – after England’s batters imploded for the second time in a match that will live long in the memory.

Australia will head to Brisbane with a 1-0 series lead after mowing down 205 in just 28.2 overs, sealing victory inside two days and landing a hammer blow to England’s hopes of regaining the urn.

For a player who had scraped together only 167 runs across all formats over the past three months, this was a return to form of epic proportions: an innings already being hailed as one of the finest in Ashes history.

On the back of Mitchell Starc’s 10-wicket haul, “Travball” obliterated “Bazball” on an electrifying afternoon as the left-hander tore into England’s quicks, blasting 123 from 83 balls in front of 49,983 stunned spectators. More than 40,000 ticket holders won’t have any cricket to watch on Sunday after the first two-day Ashes Test since 1890.

It was the equal sixth-quickest century in Test history and equal third-fastest by an Australian, in terms of balls faced, since Adam Gilchrist’s magnificent 57-ball ton in 2006 and David Warner’s 69-ball effort in Perth in 2011.

Head eventually holed out on the leg side with Australia 13 runs short of their target, and walked off to a raucous ovation. Marnus Labuschagne (51 not out off 49 balls) was outstanding as Steve Smith hit the winning runs through cover and pondered whether he had just witnessed the best innings of his life.

“It’s got to be up there. Wow. Incredible to witness,” Smith said. “We came off at the tea break and we were umming and ahhing [about] who to put up top. Heady was like, ‘I’ll do it’. I was like, ‘Go for it’.

“We didn’t like how things functioned in the first innings with Marnus going up top and me at three. Trav took it on and played one of the great Ashes knocks. I’m glad I was in the house to see it.”

Head underlined his status as a big-game player, adding this masterpiece to his hundreds in the 2023 World Test Championship final and ODI World Cup later that year.

With Khawaja unable to open for the second time in the match, due to back spasms after playing three consecutive rounds of golf this week, Head volunteered to partner debutant Jake Weatherald (23). By stumps, he may well have batted his way into the role for the rest of the series after one of the most flamboyant and devastating Ashes innings.

“Sometimes no cricket is better than some cricket for me,” Head said. “I trained all four days here, which is unheard of. It’s worked out all right because we finished on day two.

“It’s been brewing for a bit. I thought it was the right opportunity to do it. I felt like we lined up a bit better that way. I was pretty keen to try and take some pressure off him.”

Head added on Kayo Sports: “They have serious fast bowlers and I expected short-pitched bowling. I just tried to hit down breeze. When I got to 50 and 60, I felt the momentum. This is a lovely but intimidating place to bat. You do have a few sleepless nights with the cracks, and facing the likes of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. It is a fantastic start and if this is anything to go by, it will be one hell of a series.”

Just when the England team – and many members of the UK press – thought the tourists had landed the first killer blow of the five-match series, Australia wrestled back control and flipped the Test on its head.

At 1-65 in England’s second innings, leading by 105, the tourists were in complete command. Four hours and 36 minutes later, the match was over.

Their collapse, coupled with a tame fast-bowling display when the game was alive, will leave England searching for answers after Head dismantled them with contempt.

The irony of Head being thrown up to open was not lost on anyone. The only reason Khawaja’s Test career was revived in 2022 was when he took Head’s place at the top of the order due to COVID-19. Khawaja made twin centuries against England at the SCG and never looked back.

Joe Root’s century drought in Australia also continued on Saturday as the England champion endured his leanest Ashes outing, falling cheaply for the second time in the Test as Mitchell Starc stormed to a third career 10-wicket haul.

On a day punctuated by drama, technology delays and another English batting collapse, Root’s dismissal for eight – dragging a Starc delivery back onto his stumps – amplified the growing scrutiny around the 34-year-old’s record in this country.

England unravelled spectacularly to lose 4-9 as Ben Duckett (28), Ollie Pope (33), Harry Brook (0) and Root all departed in a frenetic – and match-defining – spell. England were bowled out for 164 to go with their first-innings effort of 172.

Root had promised before the series that the Ashes in Australia remained unfinished business, but his wait for a Test century on these shores now spans 29 innings and 15 matches since 2013. Despite nine half-centuries in that time, the three-figure milestone continues to elude him – a fact Australian fans will continue to remind him of.

“I think that’s got to be up there,” Smith said of the victory. “Starting 50 behind and the way our bowlers backed up was outstanding. Starcy had an incredible game. To take seven … was incredible and to back it up was outstanding. We were pretty happy that we were chasing 200 in the end.

“The boys turned up, wanted it today, and got the job done.”

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