Australian batter Travis Head continued his dominance over India in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy as he slammed a scintillating century on Day 2 of the third Test at the Gabba, Brisbane.
The southpaw slammed 152 off 160 balls with 18 boundaries, propelling the hosts to a formidable first innings total of 405/7 at stumps on the second day.
After the close of play, Head expressed his delight on scoring back-to-back Test centuries against India while also admitting that he was fortunate to survive a brilliant spell from ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
"Pretty special to do this after that ton at the Adelaide Oval. It's all about being as positive as I can, I thought that I had to spend some time in the middle, credit to the top-3 guys for having stuck out against the new ball, it made my task easier and I could play my shots, I felt pretty positive against the new ball, but it was fun to be aggressive. I like to play long innings, I would want to bat for a long time," Head said.
Commenting on Bumrah's spell, the left-hander stated: "He bowled brilliantly, bowled wicket-taking balls, and was always tough facing up against him. I always enjoyed batting with Steve (Smith), when he bats well, I always go unnoticed, I thought he was moving (his feet) very well, it allowed me to be proactive as well. I just enjoy what I do, I just want to play well for the team, for the guys in the team and I'm enjoying it."
During his knock, Travis Head stitched a 241-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Steve Smith, who also ended his extended lean patch with a patient knock of 101.
Sharing his thoughts on batting against spin and the challenges posed by the new ball, Head said: "I have played enough against India, I've had a blueprint, a bit nervous to start against spin, I was happy with the way I started against him today (on Jadeja). The new ball will do something throughout the game, can't see too far ahead of the game, hopefully the weather plays up nicely, but the new ball will be crucial. The top-6 (batting) is setting up nicely, hopeful of doing well in Sri Lanka and getting into the WTC final. Very pleased for Smudge, he has had a lot against him and it's nice to see him get back to his best form."
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is currently tied at 1-1. While the tourists won the series opener in Perth by 295 runs, the hosts bounced back to clinch the second Test in Adelaide by 10 wickets.
The winner of the ongoing Gabba Test will be firm favorites to clinch the five-match series, and the Aussies seem to be in the driver’s seat at the moment.
