Travis Head has been a massive thorn in India's path in the past. We take a look at how they can tackle him in the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final.
The Men in Blue have stormed into yet another ICC tournament knockout, aiming to reach their third successive final in white-ball cricket. They are set to face Australia in the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final on March 4 in Dubai. India had the advantage of playing all of their three group fixtures at the same venue. Australia, on the other hand, will be playing in Dubai for the first time in the tournament. The Rohit Sharma-led side are heavy favourites to advance through but a Travis Head named problem stands between them and the final.
Head has proven to be a massive thorn in India’s path. In the 2023 World Test Championship final, he smashed 163 off 174 to take the game away. Five months later, he made 137 off 120 on a tricky Ahmedabad pitch to clinch the 2023 World Cup. Head also did well in last year’s T20 World Cup, hitting 76 off 43 in an unsuccessful chase of 206.
The Australian star is in the form of his life. Since 2022, Head has amassed 1,455 runs in ODIs at an average of 58 and a strike rate of 122. Sending him back early would be India’s number one priority in the semi-final.
Travis Head has an exceptional ability to forget about the last ball and focus on the next. He gets beaten by movement quite a few times but this ability helps him deal with the next delivery on its merit.
There is one weakness Head has been troubled by in the past. It’s the deliveries that land in the 6-8 metre area just outside the off stump and either come into him or seam away. There have been a few instances of him getting bowled or caught behind by those types of deliveries.
BUMRAH SEED TO GET HEAD FOR A DUCK!#AUSvIND | #DeliveredWithSpeed | @nbn_australia pic.twitter.com/ZlpIVFca5O
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 26, 2024
What a way to get your maiden Test wicket! ⚡️#DeliveredwithSpeed | #AUSvIND | @NBN_Australia pic.twitter.com/IkykgwUEWW
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 22, 2024
If India opt to go with two specialist pacers Mohammed Shami and Harshit Rana, the pair should target this line from round the wicket. On abrasive pitches of Dubai, they should get seam movement with the new ball.
The left-hand batter also gets tangled by bouncers targeted at his head. Rana and Hardik Pandya have the pace and can surprise the batter with an occasional bouncer.
Travis Head is completely bamboozled by the pace and bounce of Mark Wood! 🌪️
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 21, 2023
Four down. Six to go. #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/9d2B9U1Ewp
If the pacers don’t get the job done in the first 6-7 overs, India should introduce Varun Chakravarthy into the attack. He is coming off a five-wicket haul in the previous game, against a side that plays spin well.
The mystery spinner has a novelty around him as Travis Head (and most of the Aussie batters) has not faced him in any of the formats yet. Chakravarthy seems to be at the top of his game. His ability to consistently land the ball in the 5-6 metre area and turn it both ways makes him extremely hard to deal with. Among all Indian bowling options, Chakravarthy perhaps has the best chance of dismissing Head, considering his quality and the pitch.
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Arshdeep Singh has been absent from India’s playing XI for the last six ODIs as they have preferred Harshit Rana over him. There is a theory that he can be vulnerable against the left-arm pacers who swing the new ball.
Numbers don’t correlate with this theory as Head averages over 80 against left-arm seamers in One-Day Internationals. But there have been instances where he has been cleaned up by swinging deliveries from this bowling type.
Arshdeep Singh has given Punjab Kings a 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 start 🔥🙌#TATAIPL #IPLonJioCinema #SRHvPBKS #IPLinHindi pic.twitter.com/ll5PlkN3S3
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) May 19, 2024
Starc sets the tone for Qualifier 1 with a ripper! 🔥#IPLonJioCinema #TATAIPL #KKRvSRH #TATAIPLPlayoffs #IPLinBengali pic.twitter.com/3AJG5BvZwT
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) May 21, 2024
Travis Head is the kind of player who can make you bleed if you don’t remove him early. India will be throwing everything at him in the semi-final on Tuesday.
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