Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 3 (ANI): Australian opener Travis Head has shared his thoughts on playing pink-ball Test cricket in Adelaide, stating that while the wicket can be challenging to bat on, it suits him well as it is his home ground.
Head will be one of the key players to watch during the pink-ball, day-night Test starting on December 6 at the Adelaide Oval. India leads the series 1-0 after a commanding 295-run victory at Perth’s Optus Stadium in the first Test. Head, who represents South Australia in domestic cricket, calls the Adelaide Oval his home ground.
Speaking to Star Sports, Head expressed excitement about playing at home, particularly with his friends and family in attendance.
“It can be a tough wicket to bat on. Obviously, the drop-in wicket requires you to score in different ways. I think it suits me. I bat there a lot, and it has been nice to get some runs over the last couple of years there. I will try to do the same again this year,” said Head.
“It’s always a nice week for me. It’s relaxed–I’m in my own bed. I’ve got a lot of friends and family around, and many mates come to watch. It’s good fuel for the week, so I’m looking forward to that. Day-night Test matches are special as well. They create a great atmosphere, and the ball is always doing something. The wickets offer plenty, making it an exciting week,” he added.
In pink-ball Tests, Head has played eight matches, scoring 543 runs in 12 innings at an average of 49.36, including two centuries and three fifties, with a best score of 175.
At Adelaide Oval, in four day-night matches, Head has amassed 289 runs at an average of 72.25, with a century and a fifty. His best score at the venue remains 175.
The Adelaide Test, starting on December 6, sees India entering with both a mental and physical edge, following a dominant performance in the first Test led by Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling and captaincy. However, the visitors will also aim to exorcise the memories of the infamous 2020 Adelaide pink-ball Test, where they were dismissed for their lowest Test score of 36 runs. On that occasion, Pat Cummins (4/21) and Josh Hazlewood (5/8) dismantled the Indian batting line-up, giving Australia a straightforward target of 90 runs to chase.
Australia squad (for the second Test):
Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.
India squad:
Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal. (ANI)
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