IND vs AUS, T20 World Cup: Head’s troubles in focus as powerhouses meet in high stakes clash on back of contrasting outings
In the last two major ICC games between the two sides, Head had single-handedly lopped off India’s ambitions. (AP)
The ball would haunt Travis Head in his nightmares. The white sphere of leather arrowing into his middle stump, landing on good length, or slightly fuller, before seaming away, rerouting as though guided by a GPS just adequately to beat his feet-in-cement swipe. When Naveen-ul-Haq blasted his stumps with a similar ball, he might have only felt a sense of deja vu. Several faces would have flashed through his head—Jofra Archer (this World Cup), Mitchell Starc and Arshdeep Singh (IPL 2024) – from the last month alone.
Awareness of a flaw is one thing; executing is the more tedious bit, India’s seamers would know. In the last two major ICC games between the two sides, Head had single-handedly lopped off India’s ambitions. Centuries of outrageous derring-do in the World Test Championship and 50-over World Cup finals needn’t any reopening; they flinch as unhealed wounds in the mind of the nation. Now Australia would hope their maverick opener would perform a triple-peat, just as India’s bowlers would sniff an overdue revenge. (Read more from Sandip G)