Travis Head Shines Again: A Century on Home Turf in the Ashes Test
Travis Head's Remarkable Performance at Adelaide Oval
Adelaide: After scoring a century, Travis Head celebrated by kissing the pitch, showcasing his joy on Day 3 of the third Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval.
This match was a classic display of 'Travball'.
Head was nearly dismissed on 99 when he edged a delivery from Jofra Archer, which was dropped by Harry Brook at gully. Earlier, he had attempted a quick single after nudging a Joe Root delivery but was sent back by his partner Alex Carey.
He faced eight balls without adding to his score while on 99, but then took a bold step down the pitch, driving the ball over Root's head for a boundary, bringing his score to 103.
This marked his 11th century in 63 Test matches and his second in just five innings since moving up to open the batting in Perth, where he played a crucial role in Australia's eight-wicket victory to kick off the series.
By the end of the day, Head remained not out at 142, forming a solid partnership of 122 runs with fellow South Australian Carey, who scored 52. Australia stood at 271-4, leading by 356 runs.
Brook made two impressive catches in the slips, dismissing Marnus Labuschagne (13) and Cameron Green (7) off Josh Tongue's bowling, but his missed opportunity against Head proved costly.
The Australians began their innings after dismissing England for 286 just before lunch, with Ben Stokes and Archer contributing significantly to reduce the first-innings deficit to 85 runs through a record ninth-wicket partnership of 106 runs.
Stokes exited the field visibly frustrated after being bowled for 83 by Mitchell Starc, concluding a resilient 198-ball innings that brought his team back into contention.
After losing the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane, and allowing Australia to score 371 in their first innings, England's hopes of staying competitive in the five-Test series appeared slim when Stokes came to bat with the score at 71-4.
With England struggling at 168-8, Stokes teamed up with No. 10 Archer to survive the evening session. They resumed on Friday with England at 213 for eight, still trailing by 158 runs.
Australia aimed to wrap up the last two wickets quickly, but Stokes and Archer, who had taken five wickets in the first innings, held their ground.
Stokes advanced down the wicket to Scott Boland, hitting a boundary to bring up their 50 partnership off 89 balls, and reached his half-century with a single off 159 deliveries, marking his slowest fifty in Test cricket — his 37th, yet crucial for his team.
Shortly after, Archer secured his first Test half-century off 97 balls, reducing England's deficit to under 100 runs.
However, the innings concluded swiftly after left-arm pacer Starc bowled Stokes with a delivery that angled back. The Stokes-Archer partnership set a record for the highest ninth-wicket stand for England at Adelaide.
The prolonged exposure to the sun affected England's bowling unit, with Archer, who had taken five wickets in the first innings, finishing with figures of 0-15 in 10 overs. Stokes, England's leading wicket-taker this year, did not bowl.
Despite the challenges, England has shown they can chase substantial targets in the fourth innings, having successfully chased down 370-plus against India twice in the last three years, so the aggressive 'Bazball' approach remains intact, even after Stokes' determined first innings.