Arguably Australia’s greatest batter of the summer season, Travis Head has paid the worth for his poor report in Asia.
Australia made the bombshell name to axe the left-hander for the primary Test in opposition to India in Nagpur.
The determination earned the ire of former Australia captain Steve Waugh, who typically referred to successful in India because the ‘remaining frontier’, calling it a “gamble”.
“Hard to believe we can drop the No.4 ranked Test batsman in the world and probably our best batsman in the last 12 months,” Waugh wrote on Instagram.
“Plus he bowls better than average off-spin – let’s wait and see – maybe the Aussie selectors are geniuses.”
Despite averaging greater than 50 and scoring two centuries final yr, Head’s disastrous excursions of Pakistan and Sri Lanka throughout that interval meant Australia couldn’t belief him to fireplace as they try to finish a 19-year sequence drought in India.
Head averages a dismal 21.30 throughout seven Tests in Asia, in comparison with his profession mark of 45.23.
Selectors most well-liked Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb, who each performed all 4 Tests throughout Australia’s 2017 tour of India.
Renshaw spent greater than 4 years within the worldwide wilderness earlier than his recall for the New Year’s Test instead of injured allrounder Cameron Green.
Handscomb final performed a Test in January 2019, a drawn Test in opposition to India on the SCG.
Australia had been additionally involved by their left-hand heavy batting line-up, with India choosing three spinners to attempt to exploit a perceived weak spot in opposition to spin.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
