Australia kicked off their Ashes 2025-26 marketing campaign with a spectacular eight-wicket win over England, as Travis Head turned the primary Check right into a one-man present on the Optus Stadium in Perth. With Usman Khawaja sidelined on account of a minor harm, Travis Head acquired the prospect to seize all of the limelight.
Chasing a difficult 225-run goal on the powerful Perth floor, Head opened the innings alongside debutant Jake Weatherald, whereas Marnus Labuschagne was held again at quantity three. The left-handed batter began fastidiously, taking just a few overs to regulate to the pitch and bounce.
Travis Head steals the present as Australia crush England in Ashes 2025-26 opener
As soon as Head settled, he took cost, hitting each free ball and dealing with brief deliveries with ease. Weatherald (23) supported him nicely, and collectively they added an excellent 75-run opening partnership. After that, Head punished the England bowlers, reaching his fifty off simply 36 balls.
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Head smashed his strategy to an excellent 123, finishing a century off solely 69 balls. He additionally stitched a exceptional and unbeaten 117-run partnership with Labuschagne, who additionally hit a surprising fifty as Australia chased down the goal on Day 2 to take a 1-0 lead within the five-match Check collection.
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After Australia’s dominating victory within the first Ashes Check towards England, Head has shared an attention-grabbing backstory behind his unbelievable knock. Whereas Head opening with Weatherald in Perth shocked many, this plan wasn’t made abruptly.
The swashbuckling batter revealed that Marnus Labuschagne was additionally thought of for the position, however the group trusted him to deal with England’s short-ball technique. He mentioned that it was the choice that they had mentioned many instances and labored completely for them in Perth.
Travis Head reveals how opening position got here collectively within the Ashes opener
Travis Head mentioned on the post-match presentation, “About two years in the past! (laughs) Nah, truthfully, I used to be pleased to do it. It doesn’t trouble me an excessive amount of. We’d spoken about it—we all know what England’s short-ball plans seem like; we noticed loads of it in 2023. The teaching workers and Patty (Pat Cummins) had just a few concepts, and this was one in all them. Good that it labored out at this time.”
The star batter mentioned that it was a collective name taken by the pinnacle coach, Andrew McDonald, captain Pat Cummins, and senior gamers like Steve Smith.
Head additional defined, “Little bit of everybody—coach (Andrew McDonald), captain, just a few senior gamers. A few choices had been thrown across the room. I used to be eager, and there was assist for it. It might’ve simply been Marnus dealing with the primary over too. However the pondering was proper: get on the market, belief the plans, and see what occurs. And at this time it paid off.”
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Travis Head hails his Perth knock as one in all his finest
On the finish, Head has ranked his Perth innings amongst his finest, and he was pleased to have the ability to give Australia an ideal begin to the Ashes collection. Nevertheless, the 31-year-old batter has joked that it have to be disappointing for the 60,000 followers anticipating one other day of motion in Perth.
He signed off by saying, “Yesterday wasn’t an important day for us; at this time was a bit rocky at instances… So to come back away with a win like this, inside two days, is huge. I nearly really feel sorry for the 60,000 individuals who purchased tickets for tomorrow.”
