Adelaide, Australia

Travis Head was the only Australian batter to cause little trouble for India in the BGT opener in Perth. Though debutant Harshit Rana bowled him off a jaffa in the first innings, ace India seamer Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Head on 89 in the second. The number one ranked Test bowler impressed everyone with his captaincy and performance, picking eight wickets across both innings; no wonder Head called him ‘one of the greatest ever’.

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Praising the Indian pace spearhead, Head said he would tell his grandkids that he faced Bumrah during his playing days.

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"Jasprit is probably going to go down as one of the greatest fast bowlers to play the game. We're finding that at the moment, how challenging he can be and it's nice to play against that. It's going to be nice to look back at your career and tell the grandkids that you faced him... Hopefully, I only have to face a few more times as he's been challenging,” Head said ahead of the second Test in Adelaide. 

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Head and Bumrah have faced off each other several times since the 2018 BGT, and though Head enjoyed scoring runs against Bumrah during the past three ICC events, the India pacer got the better of him in the whites, most recently in Perth. 

Travis said for him to deliver against India and mainly Bumrah, he needs to stay mentally fresh and keep a close look at the ball.

“I'm best when I look for the cues when I'm just preparing to watch the ball hard and staying fresh mentally. I think I'm lucky that I've faced him a few times and come across him a fair bit. So I just go back over recent times, and times I've faced him. We've been very fortunate to have played against him a lot so I know what's coming, it's just making sure I'm prepared and fresh to start well,” he continued.

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Travis fancies taking home advantage against Bumrah

Meanwhile, unlike the visiting team batters who performed exceptionally in the second innings after the first-inning debacle, the Australians struggled across both outings, with Head being the lone exception.

With Australia trailing 0-1 in this five-match Test series, Head needs to up his game and score runs in bulk at his home ground in Adelaide.

"Knowing it quite well, and I have been fortunate to be put in a couple of really good positions to bat. I've come in at some nice times. And growing up and playing on this wicket, it probably suits my game a bit more being (shorter) square of the wicket and the way that the ball can react off the wicket. It's going to be a challenge, but I feel like I'm moving well, feel like I'm in a good space, and go out and try and execute that,” the Aussie batter said on Monday.

India and Australia will square off in the second Test, a Day/Night affair, at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide. For the hosts, seamer Josh Hazlewood is injured and ruled out, with Scott Boland expected to replace him in the XI. 

(With inputs from agencies)