Srinagar: Australia opener Travis Head is in the form of his life and on Wednesday he once again demonstrated his power hitting abilities as the Australian smashed England bowlers all over the park in first ODI at Southampton.
Travis Head was slow starter in his brutal innings as he took seven balls to hit his first boundary – an off drive off Jofra Archer. But once he did, there was no stopping him. One boundary followed another and all of a sudden, Head, from being 3 off 6 balls, raced to 15 off 10 balls as he hit Archer for three fours in four balls in the third over of the match.
However, Head reserved his best for Sam Curran, smashing the England all-rounder for three fours and as many sixes to collect 30 runs in the fifth over of the match.
It started with a boundary over mid-on when Curran dragged his slower one halfway into the pitch. The next ball was craved through the off-side when Curran was once again guilty of pitching it short to Head. The left-hander, who smashed multiple records in the first T20I against Scotland last week, was in no mood for a let-up.
Head got his first six of the match in the third ball of the over with a short-arm pull over deep square leg. Curran finally tried to change his length after being smashed for 4, 4 and 6 but even that didn’t work. Head planted his front foot and swung across the line to send the ball over the rope.
Head completed a hat-trick of sixes with perhaps the best shot off the fifth ball of the over. It was full and wide from Curran. Head transferred his weight on the front foot and used the room to swing his arms to hit it over covers. The ball sailed deep into the stands. The last ball of the over was another full one around the fifth stump and Head showed his brutal power by smashing it over covers. It was a once-bounce four.
Head completed his half-century off just 19 balls in a whirlwind knock of 59, which included eight fours and four sixes, to get the Australians off to a rapid start.
Australia hammer England despite collapse
Australia’s more-established team had too much for the hosts, with the 86-run opening partnership between Matthew Short (41 off 26 balls) and Head building an excellent platform. When it looked all downhill for England’s revamped T20I side, Head top-edged one off Saqib Mahmood to give England the first breakthrough.
Then the arrival of spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone slowed the run-rate, and Australia started to quickly lose wickets — with the last eight departing for 61. After being 86/1 in the powerplay and 118/2 after 10 overs, Australia were restricted to a below-par 179.
England, with a batting lineup missing injured captain Jos Buttler and including uncapped Jordan Cox and Jacob Bethell, stumbled to 52-4. After Liam Livingstone (37) and Sam Curran (18) threatened a fightback with a 54-run partnership for the fifth wicket, England lost three wickets in 10 balls to plunge to 113-7 and was eventually all out for 151 with four balls left.