Head's 69-ball century propelled Australia to eight-wicket win over England in Ashes opener.
England head coach Brendon McCullum was effusive in praise of makeshift opener Travis Head's explosive hundred, leading Australia to an eight-wicket victory inside two days in the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium on Saturday (November 22).
Chasing 205 to win, the hosts stormed to the target in just 28.2 overs as Head smashed a breathtaking 123 off 83 balls. The southpaw notched up his three-figure mark off just 69 balls — the fastest ever Ashes century by an opener.
Marnus Labuschagne finished unbeaten on 51, with Steve Smith on two, as Australia secured a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
On a surface where the first three innings witnessed scores of 172, 132 and 164, Head’s brutal century flipped the entire narrative, prompting McCullum to only stand back and applaud.
“I thought 200 was actually a pretty good score for us to try and defend in the last innings. But the way Travis Head played was absolutely outstanding. It’s one of the best knocks I’ve seen in a pressure situation on a tough wicket,” McCullum told TNT Sports.
McCullum also revealed that just minutes before the fourth innings began, Australian legend Adam Gilchrist told him that the total might be plenty.
“I spoke to Gilly (Adam Gilchrist) about five minutes before their last innings, and he said, ‘I think you guys have got 30 too many’. I said, ‘I hope so,’ but we might have needed another 230 the way that Travis played,” McCullum said.
The former New Zealand captain took over England's Test side in 2022, and he, along with captain Ben Stokes, revived a team that had won one out of 17 matches. They have since become known for a fearless and aggressive brand of cricket, particularly with the bat and 'Bazball' was coined to describe their style of play.
Now, seeing his side getting demolished by a batter doing exactly that dealt a kind of psychological blow.
“Fair play. We’ve always said that if someone’s able to stand up to what we throw at them, and be able to put us under pressure and deliver a performance such as that, then you have to tip your cap,” McCullum remarked.
England will look to regroup and reassess their plans before they face Australia in second Ashes Test, starting on December 4 in Brisbane.