Travis Head’s demolition of England in the 2025-26 Ashes did more than ensure a 4-1 series win for Australia, as it also broke an important Test record of Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli.
England had no answers as Travis Head clinches Ashes series
Head delivered a series that will be remembered for years as he played a key role in Australia retaining the Ashes title at home. This explosive batsman looked invincible from the very first test. Head finished the five-match Test series as the leading run-scorer, with 629 runs at a mammoth average of 62.90 and a breathtaking strike rate of 87.36.
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The left-handed batsman stepped up and took the game away from England whenever he took the field in the 2025-26 Ashes. The fifth and final Test in Sydney presented his impact fully. Batting with confidence and aggression, Head completely dominated the English attack and scored a brilliant 163 in the first innings of the New Year Test.
When Australia set out to chase 160 in the fourth innings, the star batsman once again played his part, adding a crucial 29 runs and laying the foundation for a comfortable five-wicket win over England at the SCG. With this victory, Australia won the Ashes 4–1 and Head was awarded the Player of the Match award for his match-winning century in the first innings at the SCG.
Travis Head surpasses Virat Kohli’s test record
The Australian star’s match-winning performance earned him his 11th Player of the Match award in his burgeoning Test career. With this, Head has now overtaken Virat Kohli’s tally of 10 Player of the Match awards in Test cricket. Head among the Australian greats is now joining elite company.
Head has 11 Player of the Match awards in just 65 Test matches, becoming the joint fifth player to receive the most Player of the Match awards. He joins legends Glenn McGrath and Allan Border, who have 11 awards each, and is now inching closer to names like Steve Smith (13), Steve Waugh (14), Ricky Ponting (16), and Shane Warne (17).
Head enters elite Ashes club
As an opening batsman, Travis Head also registered his name in Ashes history. His 608 runs as an Australian opening batsman in this Ashes series makes him one of the best batsmen of all time along with iconic batsmen like Mark Taylor, Arthur Morris and Michael Slater. In modern Test cricket, doing so against a fired-up England team made the achievement even more special.
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Most runs as an Australian opener in an Ashes series:
839: Mark Taylor (1989)
696: Arthur Morris (1948)
623: Michael Slater (1994)
608: Travis Head (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓)
592: Bill Lawrie (1965)
This is special: Travis Head’s dominance at the Ashes
Head reflects on his performance and expresses satisfaction with his show. He said in the post-match presentation, “It’s special. Every century you score will be cherished, but I would probably keep the first two centuries in the first three Tests with me when everything was on the line. From a personal perspective, I think it’s good to finish the series in the fifth Test. We will run it again and make sure we don’t take a step back. Our spirit is so great.”