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"I wanted to be proactive": Travis Head after being named "Player of the match" in ICC WTC final vs India

Published at :June 11, 2023 at 11:25 PM
Modified at :June 11, 2023 at 11:26 PM
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JNS


Travis Head was adjudged "Player of the match" for his 163 and 18 in the big ICC WTC final against India.

Australia player Travis Head was named the Player of the Match after he helped his side defeat India in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC 2023) final which was played at the Oval in London from June 7-11. This is the first time Australia won the ICC WTC mace, while India have now lost both the finals, they have played in.

Australia had been asked to bat first by India captain Rohit Sharma under overcast conditions on day one, a decision that he regrets now as the conditions became conducive to batting after the first two hours.

Australia posted a massive 469 runs thanks to Travis Head’s 163 and Steve Smith’s 121 runs and their 285-run partnership. David Warner made 43 and Alex Carey made 48 runs as well. For India Mohammed Siraj was the pick of bowlers with 4/108.

India were then bowled out for 296 runs with Ajinkya Rahane making 89 and Shardul Thakur scoring 51 runs as Australian bowlers made merry. Pat Cummins took three wickets, while Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Cameron Green took two each.

Australia, in their second innings, posted 270/8d with Alex Carey making 66* and 41 each from Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Starc.

Faced with a mountain of 444 runs to win, India started well but lost 3 wickets for 164 runs at the end of day 4.

Scott Boland then hurt India badly on day five when he removed Virat Kohli for 49 runs and Ravindra Jadeja for a duck in the same over and it was then just a matter of time before India folded for 234 runs with Ajinkya Rahane making 46.

Australia won the WTC 2023 final by 209 runs as Nathan Lyon picked 4/41 and Scott Boland took 3/46.

I've always had the confidence. It's about going out there and expressing that: Travis Head

Travis Head was named the Player of the Match for his attacking 163 in 174 balls in the first innings. He added 285 runs with Smith, taking the game away from India who had managed to take 71/4 at the start.

Travis Head said about his partnership with Smith: “Lot of hard work over the two years. It's been nice. That's been the approach for two years (positive approach with the bat). Said throughout the week that I want to be able to be proactive. I was tested throughout the innings. It was nice to be out there for a period of time with Smudge. Amazing week. Amazing Test from him and what we've come to expect (from him) here in England. Hope it's a big couple of months from him. And I've always said that it feels like all the plans go to him, all the attention he draws, and I can just go about my work. Nice to spend some time out with him.”

Travis Head also spoke about his innings and the confidence that he has shown over the last year. And he hoped he continued in the same vein in the Ashes as well.

“I've always had the confidence. It's about going out there and expressing that. It took me some time and everyone goes through that. I've always been open to change, open to learning. I've bedded down somewhat of a blueprint. It's not always going to work. It's nice to work that out in such a big game and hopefully continue in the next couple of months. A lot of what-ifs went to bed last night. We've come across such moments through the two years where we've had to grind it out. We're able to do that again today,” Travis Head added.

Australia will next be seen in action against England later this month in Ashes, while India will fly to the Caribbean for a series of 2 Tests, 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is in July.

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