He struck 59 and 61 in the Bridgetown Test.
Travis Head has been the most valuable player for Australia in recent years, playing a pivotal role in many of their triumphs. With his recent exploits in the first Test against West Indies in Bridgetown, he added a rare feat to his illustrious career.
Head was the ‘Player of the match’ as Australia began this World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with a resounding 159-run victory over the home side.
On a pitch where batting was a nightmarish task, Head registered fifties in both innings. He made 59 in the first innings, coming in at 22 for 3. Australia could manage only 180 in that innings, which highlights the importance of his knock. In the second innings, he produced another rescue act with 61 runs after the team was four down for 65. Only three batters managed to cross the fifty-run mark in the match, with Head doing it twice.
This POTM award was Head’s 10th in the WTC era. Since the introduction of the Test Championship, no one else has more POTM performances than him. Quite incredibly, Head has achieved this milestone in just 50 Test matches. An award every five Tests.
ALSO READ:
The next best on this list are England’s Ben Stokes and Joe Root, who have five POTM awards each. Harry Brook is fourth on the list with four of these performances.
Travis Head didn’t have a great first few years but has turned into a bonafide match-winner across formats. Just talking about Test cricket, he has scored 2,458 runs since 2022 at an average of 42.37 while striking at a mind-blowing rate of 80. He has smashed six hundreds and 12 fifties in this period.
Head was instrumental in Australia lifting the WTC 2023, hitting a stunning 163 in the final against India. He has numerous such performances where he has bailed the team out of trouble. In the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he hammered Indian bowlers for 140 off 141 at Adelaide Oval.
The 31-year old was disappointed to not make a contribution in the recent WTC 2025 final against the eventual champions South Africa.
“I try to contribute every time I go out there, was disappointed at not making runs at Lords (WTC final) despite my good form, was nice to get runs and contribute to the team victory here,” said Head in the post match presentation.
Australia will look to seal the series when they take on West Indies in the second Test in St George’s, Grenada from July 3.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
