Australian batsman Travis Head, who single-handedly crushed England’s hopes of starting the Ashes with a win on Australian soil, has said that the pink-ball Test brings some excitement and draws a bigger crowd; However, this does not affect his game or mentality to any extent.
Australia may have struggled with Travis Head’s form in limited-overs cricket recently, but he has been their go-to player when it mattered most. Recently, when the second innings mattered most in Perth, Head led Australia to a spectacular victory.
Travis Head’s innings of 123 off just 83 balls was a Test match miracle that stunned the English bowlers, as they had no remedy for his attack. In his latest opinion, he has made comments that indicate that teams approach day and night matches based on their records in such games.
Australian opening batsman Travis Head has backed the pink-ball Test in Australia as he believes it is a great showcase for the game in the country.
“We’ve embraced it. We’ve been able to put out a good product and play really well with it.”
“Pink ball, white ball, red ball – who really cares? Is it needed, isn’t it? It’s a fantastic spectacle, and we’ll have huge crowds again,” Head told reporters on Sunday.
Head was very clear on his stance that the pink ball Test match brought a different challenge for the players and claimed that all opinions are based on his team’s performance in the games.
“It’s still five days, it’s with a slightly different colored ball,” Head hit back at Joe Root.
He further said that when teams can adapt to different formats, they can adapt to this one too. All such comments from Australia’s veteran left-hander came in response to or after Root questioned the need for the pink-ball game.
“I don’t think so personally. It adds to things. It’s obviously very successful and popular here, and obviously Australia have a very good record here. You can see why we’re playing one of those games, and after all, you’ve known for two years [that] It’s going to be there. Is there a need for such a series? I don’t think so, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be here,” Joe Root said.
Travis Head responded, “We talk about T20s, T10s and you look at all these different formats. It still works the same way. It’s still five days, it’s with a slightly different colored ball and it brings a different atmosphere.”
Mark Wood, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are among the notable players not to play in the pink-ball Test
Australia have an extraordinary record in day/night Test matches, as they lost the only such game against the West Indies at the Gabba in January 2024. Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc both have some great records with the pink ball.
Australia are likely to miss two of their bowling stalwarts, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood; However, for England too, it is a huge blow, as Mark Wood will have to be sidelined for this fixture, only to facilitate his return for the further Tests in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
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