Ashes 2025 | Australia’s dynamic plan for Travis Head: Middle-order in first innings, opening in the second innings

Travis Head

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald reveals there have been discussions around Head opening in the second innings in the future after his match-winning century at Perth

Who gets to open alongside Usman Khawaja has been Australia’s biggest headache leading up to the Ashes. While they found Jake Weatherald as the partner to Khawaja, it was Travis Head who stole the show for Australia at Perth. Opening in the second innings with Khawaja struggling with back issue, Head’s 123 helped the hosts chase a target of 203 with eight wickets in hand and go 1-0 up in the series.

Head’s aggression at the top, which saw him a score a century off 69 deliveries, completely left England shell-shocked. Having entered the Ashes with doubts around the form of their batsmen, Head’s performances at the top has given space to talks as to whether the left-hander should start opening in the Tests like he does in the white-ball format for Australia. In the lead up to the next Test at Brisbane starting December 4, there is going to plenty of discussions around it.