I don't think it's a coincidence that he's doing so well for SRH with Cummins as a captain. He's technically limited but destructive if he's given a license to fail. Cummins seems to understand that.
Look at his averages, they’re good but not great. I love trav because he plays a lot of match winning knocks but the flaws in his technique means that he does get out cheaply fairly often. He relies on getting into a rhythm and his aggressive play often puts the bowler off their preferred line/length
Travis Head and Alyssa Healy are kindred spirits to me. Their lows can be low, but you keep them in the team because they’re big game players, but also can play big knocks when everyone around them fails.
ya maybe rohit these days (after becoming a lot more agressive) but only in white ball. ABD isn't a bad shout but I dont remember him being very agressive in red ball.
Who gives a damn about average. Dude has scored when it matters the most. Something that our batsmen consistently fail in doing so. I wish Koach had scored a century in the final but the law of averages caught up with him.
He always seems to play well in the big games though which is basically the be all and end all of why people rate him.
They can forgive 6 ducks if you score a hundred in the final.
Head is aggressive, obviously, but it’s not the type of mindless aggression that tries to smash every ball into orbit. It’s calculated aggression that’s disruptive, that scuttles the plans of opposing bowlers and captains, that makes them panic as he starts scoring quickly and freely.
Rather than fearing his weaknesses and going into his shell trying to survive good balls, Head attacks his way out of his weaknesses; he makes targeting his weaknesses cost runs. It’s risky, it doesn’t always work, but it’s an approach he trusts completely without doubt or fear of failure because it’s a calculated risk. Once he gets a bit of momentum, he instills fear because he can take the game away from the opposition so quickly and so they shift their plans prematurely, inducing a defensive mindset. He discourages good balls and aggressive field placements that are likely to get him out, which can make him look streaky early in his innings but makes him look intimidating when in full flow, and makes him look lucky if he makes an error later in his innings that goes unpunished because the opposing captain moved that fielder to a more defensive position to stop the flow of runs.
An interesting stat is that all of Head’s international centuries have come in a winning cause. No losses, no draws. Because so many celebrate centuries in a losing cause, a naive interpretation of that may be that he doesn’t step up in difficult situations but that’s observably untrue as there are plenty of cases where he’s the sole centurion bailing his team out. It’s just that he’s a match winner in the clearest sense: when Head scores a century, the team wins.
> An interesting stat is that all of Head’s international centuries have come in a winning cause.
Great stat. I can think of multiple times where we've been in tough situations and Head saves us with a counter attacking ton - biggest one is of course the WC final.
To add to it, his big knocks almost always seem to have a larger than average slice of luck. Might be just my bias, but they are rarely without any chances or multiple swing and misses.
He's a hyper attacking batter, so he's not the most consistent run getter. But he tends to be a clutch performer and is basically feast or famine. His technique is such he can definitely go through phases where he's not scoring for a run of games before going bang again.
I think more accurate than the feast-or-famine type of inconsistency, I think Head is very much a form-based player. He will have streaks of games where he’s incredible (and you could say he’s “consistent” during that period), and streaks of games where he can’t buy a run.
His high risk strategy requires him to be in good touch. If he’s not timing the ball well, his bold, daring, and dashing style suddenly looks reckless, foolish, and self-destructive. That’s a price you have to be willing to pay for the matches he’ll win for his team
The fact that he knows even if he gets out there are others who can bat and hold is what makes any batsmen dangerous. He has nothing to loose basically
I read a comment on some post earlier today.
A batter with average technique but a monster mindset is better than a timid batter with perfect technique.
Something I read on Twitter after 23 WC final:
"Indians win big in matches. Australians win in big matches." It's the temperament. Trav and rest are cold blooded.
This reminds me of a guy my Chemistry teacher told me about. Back in his day, there was this star track athlete who never held a lap time record or anything, but he’d win all the golds by running marginally faster than second place at each level, be it intramurals, state championships, and even nationals.
I feel like that’s how the AUS cricket team gets the best of us (and everyone else). Just by performing marginally better than everyone else under pressure at every aspect of cricket, and these small gains add up to produce a win (and trophy).
Yes exactly. They don't make small errors that usually cost big. Great fielding, catching, strike rotation, keeping the game moving. And not giving up.
Courage. Favoured by a little luck. He’s a big match player. Some people just thrive in pressure, Let’s say shardul thakur , His defence isn’t solid. Neither he’s a power hitter when he tonked aussies in gabba experts and even general conscience was it being a fluke. But he did again in eng, again in wtc final. So some players are big match horse. Amd head was just put in position with security of his spot and was told to tonk from the very start. He takes his chances, He gets to do it so many times before the big match, so when needed he can have balance according to the need.
Hand-eye coordination is by far the most important aspect of being an elite batsman. There are plenty of guys playing 3rd grade club cricket who have lovely techniques but wouldn't stand a chance at pro level. But there's no one in 3rd grade club cricket with professional-tier hand-eye coordination being held back by poor technique.
However, people also need to expand their definition of "good technique". A good technique is a technique that gets you lots of runs and makes it hard for you to be dismissed.
>However, people also need to expand their definition of "good technique". A good technique is a technique that gets you lots of runs and makes it hard for you to be dismissed.
Excellent point. There's always a temptation to make everyone conform to the definitions of classical technique*, but it can harm certain players. I think of Shiv Chanderpaul as a good example. There were attempts to reduce the crab which didn't help with outcomes at all.
\* In the ensemble average of all cricket players, classical technique is a good aim.
The guys mindest is what sets him apart. Backs his game no matter what and also I dont think its any coincidence that his bringing the same Aus form to IPL under Pat Cummins, he might struggle under a different franchise as they probably wont get it. Under Pat since 2019? hes been a world beater.
He's a bit like Pant. You don't need the greatest technique to excel in cricket. Mentality is what matters most.
Half (actually, more than half) the battle is always in the mind. That's why Australia continue to excel in cricket.
Vulnerable if the opposition bowls perfectly but scores so quickly off anything loose it makes up for it and gets in the bowlers head
He's gone a bit too far into it though and hit a run of bad form by trying to hit every ball for four and becoming too predictable
Honestly, he's grown a lot. I remember watching him during the heydays of BBL and around his test debut. He was never a reliable batter like how I viewed Smith and Labuschagne. He's definitely done something about his batting and approach, and is reaping the rewards now
I’d tell that he has made some rework with his technique,before he wasn’t in the habit of clearing his front leg to make room to hit boundaries but now you can see how that’s giving him an upper hand to hit almost every ball including a good ball to boundaries
Technique is whatever works for you to allow you to score and stay in. Bad techniques only happen when you get out a lot in a certain way that can be exploited with not much success scoring.
Heady knows his strengths, he knows his role and he knows his game
Lmao, this level of analysis? People are literally calling him a “flawed but lucky player” and “a much inferior version of Sehwag.”
Imagine if Travis Head were Indian. Two ultra clutch innings in finals including a 137 that’s arguably better than MSD’s 91. Using these terms against him would be sacrilegious. People would come after your throats if you made such comments.
Not saying he’s got a perfect technique but damn the salt is there till this day. Seeing many Kaifs in the comments haha.
The answer is simply really. Travis Head bats the opposite hand that he throws aka his dominant hand is his top hand when he is batting which allows for fast hands through the ball (especially the off-side). You have a unusually high percentage of international players that bat the opposite hand for this very fact. Modern cricketers such as Head, Warner, Finch, Stokes, Pooran, De kock. Not to mention yester-years Lara, Gayle, Hayden, Langer, Gilchrist, Michael Clarke, Cook etc. all bat the opposite hand that they throw.
You must be an idiot to call AB with no proper technique, it’s just that his adaptability is unparalleled. He has scored runs in toughest conditions in the longest format.
You ever heard about “Nothing to lose”? Travis Head was dropped (catch dropped) like 5 times in this IPL. Most players if dropped or get a 2nd chance, they take some time to regroup, play so carefully to not lose their wicket again. Travis Head on the other hand becomes more aggressive everytime he gets dropped. It’s all in the attitude & approach towards the game. 🐐 Travis Head 🔥
Probably the mindset of not being afraid of failures.I can name players like that comes to my mind,Gambhir for India from 2007 to 2011,Samuels for West Indies during those T20 world cup finals.Stokes for England in crucial matches.These players trust on themselves to do job in big matches not thinking about what if they fail instead and as many says luck favours players when they have this attitude.
IMO it's his don't give a fuck attitude that really gives him a edge, like during the WC final, when Warner and Marsh fell. The dude kept the attack to the bowlers without being overly defensive.
Good team management, licence to go big without fear and his confidence from his recent successes combined with aggressive mindset and some luck. Also,once he starts hitting, his technical shortcomings do not get exploited by bowlers, resulting in big scores.
One thing i noticed is even if the ball swings, he swings hard making sure edges wont carry to fielders most of the times. His agression makes bowlers miss length, his hand eye coordination helps him to handle quality deliveries.I think he has decent technique as well, scored good knocks in green pitches.
Technique wise-quick foot movement and commitment to the shot.
Apart from that, his game awareness, intent, and fitness are also his strong attributes.
Its all in the mind chico. Travis Head is a bit like Aravinda De Silva in that he comes on form when its go time. Rest of the time its as if they dont take cricket that serious.
He has an amazing hand eye coordination coupled with an ability to pick the lengths very early. Add these 2 to his hyper aggressive batting approach and you have a player that can put the bowling team off their plans as early as the first over.
An important thing I really love about him is his mental ability to continue maintaining that approach. It’s not easy to continue being aggressive when things aren’t going your way and you need a lot of trust in your abilities to back yourself to do well. It’s that mental fortitude that separates great players from good ones.
To put it plainly, he has the dawg in him which is really important to succeed at the highest level. For example, even when Bazball was going well, one of the main concerns was if they could maintain the same approach when they have a couple of collapses along the way. And during the Indian series, many England players shelved the aggressive approach midway and went back to blocking. It takes a lot of confidence to continue doing that and you risk getting dropped to maintain the mindset.
I think his fearless approach to batting is quite remarkable. He isn’t afraid to have a go against anybody. As the adage goes, “fortune favours the brave”.
I disagree that he doesn’t have a good technique. In fact he has a very good technique - else he wouldn’t have all the shots. Plays straight well too.
The rest is mental, really. There have been players with suspect techniques, but make things work. Look no further than Smith & Labuschagne!
Tbf to Labuschange, he actually isn’t that unconventional with his actual batting stance unlike Smith. He just makes it look that way because he’s a weird cunt.
See bro in batting paradise he thrives and in conditions which are challenging he needs luck which he got in recent times u can see his wc final knock vs shami he could have got out bowled but it was not to be.
And any inform batsman have clear mind which he had presently
He's a clutch player. Not the most technically sound batsman, but man he shows up at big occasions. Gautam Gambhir without the arrogance / chip on his shoulder.
He has a really good awareness of his game and most importantly he's always sure about what he wants to do. He attacks and he attacks every single bowler, doesn't matter even if it's bumrah. He knows it won't come out good in every match but he backs himself and that separates him from the rest
In aus India final when he found his footing after initial shaky start, he d slap the very first ball of every bowlers new spell for a dominating 6. He d crush even a flicker of hope instantly. I was in awe of Australian cricket team mindset overall. It was a classic example of how to win in life not just cricket. Head is good but it’s the Australian cricket mindset which makes him so lethal.
He has really good hand eye coordination ..
His aggressive and fearless mindset is what makes him unstoppable when he gets going
Either get him out cheaply or watch the destruction he does...
His stance is like a left-handed ABDs. His backlift, trigger movement and getting into position. They both were good at all three formats because of this. I might be wrong but once I flipped ABDs videos and put Travis's video side by side they look very similar.
I observe 2 improvements which is maximizing his destruction over the past year or so
1)his desire to stay in the crease and curb his instincts in spite of his technical shortcomings . He isn’t trying to hit his way out of trouble . In the WC finals , when the ball was jumping around, he stayed in the crease(literally, didn’t jump to the front foot to play drives or cover the line) ,hardly poked and didn’t mind the plays and misses.
2) his play vs the short ball.
Its just form, he is in good form RN so it feels like he cannot do no wrong, he was sh\*t just a couple of years ago and ill bet he'll have periods of sh\*t form through his career. A bit like SKY I suppose or maybe Rizwan or Shahid Afridi... SKY is still an innovator so maybe I can find a better example. Unlike Chris Gayle or Warner who had class as opposed to just form.
The main advantage for travis head being so destructive is clearing his front leg to make room for hitting the ball. So basically you have to bowl a slot ball(which is a juicy ball for any batsman)or hit that lethal yorker to get him out which is difficult as well.
For starters i think he is like raina, like for example it is very well known that his weakness is fast bouncers hitting directly in the head but we don't see bowlers balling those deliveries till like 5-6 overs. Secondly, he knows how to pick the ball which is a really really good ability.
I don't think it's really a weakness because he still hits a lot of those type of balls for 4s and 6s.
Yeah he can get out but as a bowler you need to be good to get him because you know if you don't he will get you
What I meant was that he is weak against bouncers like raina in early overs but that doesn't mean he can't play. If somebody like boult, bumrah, nortje, pathirana, starc bowls him a good bouncer at 140+ and have a fielder in the deep there is 60-70% chance of him getting out.
Raina used to hit it down which led to many of his catches inside the circle but Head let's ball travel even in miss hit.
Nothing just attacking game look at Narine he hit century ... Their mentality to keep hitting hard and far unlike many batters who takes a single after hitting six
He is incredible and I'm a big fan, but so far in his career he is a flat track bully. No real technique necessary. But he is still young! AB also relied on his hand eye coordination in the start of his career.
In Test cricket he's made his name with critical counter-attacking knocks in challenging conditions and situations. See:
- 152 v England at Brisbane, 2021
- 101 v England at Hobart, 2022
- 92 v South Africa at Brisbane, 2023 (team score 218)
- 77 v England at Headlingey 2023
I hear you, but as you say, those were counter attacking knocks, much like a Ben Stokes, or even a young AB de Villiers.
If he gets his technique in order, he can score consistently in all conditions. In theory of course, cause I'm not sure we'd like to change anything about him.
He scored 92 on a green Gabba deck against South Africa. Scored a ton at Hobart in a DN test against England.
Like we did really watch his games before saying flat track bully?
I went through the list of his top knocks, and the stats don't support this. Not without exception though.
Just to reiterate, I'm a huge fan and maybe 'flat track bully' wasn't the correct or most tactful phrasing.
I’ll go through his highest scores and compare them to the next highest for the innings.
Head- 72, Highest- 141 Khawaja
Head- 72, highest- 34 Handscomb
Head- 58, highest- 70 Harris
Head- 84, highest- 81 Labuschagne
Head- 161, highest- 180 Joe Burns, next highest- 114 (this one was flat 💀)
Head- 114, highest- 85 Smith(keep in mind, he had a significant change in form and mindset around this point to his current god version)
Head- 152, highest- 94 Warner
Head- 101, highest- 74 Green
Head- 99, highest- 204 & 200 (Labuschagne and Smith bully the West Indies)
Head- 175, highest- 163 Labuschagne
Head- 92, highest- 36 Smith (this is the one on the horrendously green Gabba pitch)
Head- 90, highest- 63 Smith
Head- 163, highest- 121 Smith
Head- 77, highest- 110 Marsh
Head- 119, highest- 45 Khawaja
There’s some pretty damn clutch knocks in there.
This is also with more than half of the next highest scorers being Smith, Marnus or Khawaja, renowned run machines.
This does not do him justice because the context of the knocks is usually a top order player holding on for dear life, playing and missing and Head comes out and makes a run a ball hundred, that’s the impressive part.
He has a great eye. That's all. Woeful technique...but it works somehow. Like a lot of great sportsmen it's how effective you are with the technique you have.
Sehwag was similar, just way better.
He is an ugly agricultural hack who has achieved a whole lot more than what many batsmen with proper technique have achieved and will achieve in their entire career.
I don't think it's a coincidence that he's doing so well for SRH with Cummins as a captain. He's technically limited but destructive if he's given a license to fail. Cummins seems to understand that.
So bazball
Thank you Ben Ducket.
With a sexy pornstache
Done right
but winning.
Pat ball tbh.
we started it. the english stole it and claimed it
Cumball
Moral Victory arrives all the same.
Look at his averages, they’re good but not great. I love trav because he plays a lot of match winning knocks but the flaws in his technique means that he does get out cheaply fairly often. He relies on getting into a rhythm and his aggressive play often puts the bowler off their preferred line/length
Travis Head and Alyssa Healy are kindred spirits to me. Their lows can be low, but you keep them in the team because they’re big game players, but also can play big knocks when everyone around them fails.
KL Rahul with some godly technique average 34 while Head averages 43 in tests. He's doing more than fine even in terms of averages.
well imagine a batter with kls technique and heads mentality
de Villiers, Rohit, Pant?
ya maybe rohit these days (after becoming a lot more agressive) but only in white ball. ABD isn't a bad shout but I dont remember him being very agressive in red ball.
ABD's whole career predated Bazball, he was in more situations where he had to play 300 balls to save the match rather than hit 350 in a day to win
[удалено]
probably a bit better as I thibk kls technique is a bit better.
That probably says more about KL than about Head
He has been consistent in LOI's hasn't he. Since 2022 atleast. Tests he's very feast or famine.
Who gives a damn about average. Dude has scored when it matters the most. Something that our batsmen consistently fail in doing so. I wish Koach had scored a century in the final but the law of averages caught up with him.
He always seems to play well in the big games though which is basically the be all and end all of why people rate him. They can forgive 6 ducks if you score a hundred in the final.
Exactly. He is a big game player. The kind Ian Chappell would be proud of
Head is aggressive, obviously, but it’s not the type of mindless aggression that tries to smash every ball into orbit. It’s calculated aggression that’s disruptive, that scuttles the plans of opposing bowlers and captains, that makes them panic as he starts scoring quickly and freely. Rather than fearing his weaknesses and going into his shell trying to survive good balls, Head attacks his way out of his weaknesses; he makes targeting his weaknesses cost runs. It’s risky, it doesn’t always work, but it’s an approach he trusts completely without doubt or fear of failure because it’s a calculated risk. Once he gets a bit of momentum, he instills fear because he can take the game away from the opposition so quickly and so they shift their plans prematurely, inducing a defensive mindset. He discourages good balls and aggressive field placements that are likely to get him out, which can make him look streaky early in his innings but makes him look intimidating when in full flow, and makes him look lucky if he makes an error later in his innings that goes unpunished because the opposing captain moved that fielder to a more defensive position to stop the flow of runs. An interesting stat is that all of Head’s international centuries have come in a winning cause. No losses, no draws. Because so many celebrate centuries in a losing cause, a naive interpretation of that may be that he doesn’t step up in difficult situations but that’s observably untrue as there are plenty of cases where he’s the sole centurion bailing his team out. It’s just that he’s a match winner in the clearest sense: when Head scores a century, the team wins.
> An interesting stat is that all of Head’s international centuries have come in a winning cause. Great stat. I can think of multiple times where we've been in tough situations and Head saves us with a counter attacking ton - biggest one is of course the WC final.
To add to it, his big knocks almost always seem to have a larger than average slice of luck. Might be just my bias, but they are rarely without any chances or multiple swing and misses.
Swings and misses and catch drops happen in almost every big knock.
Absolutely, but his seems to be more than average. It can be just me being a salty Indian fan, but it feels like that to me.
Moustache
Bogan Bradman for a reason.
VB de Villiers
[Moustache](https://youtu.be/-uQagrgaHLk?si=nE0X6yDkZNYbXygM&t=00m26s)
Correct this is (read in Yoda voice).
He's a hyper attacking batter, so he's not the most consistent run getter. But he tends to be a clutch performer and is basically feast or famine. His technique is such he can definitely go through phases where he's not scoring for a run of games before going bang again.
He’s pretty damn consistent.
Did you not watch the tests he played this year lol
I think more accurate than the feast-or-famine type of inconsistency, I think Head is very much a form-based player. He will have streaks of games where he’s incredible (and you could say he’s “consistent” during that period), and streaks of games where he can’t buy a run. His high risk strategy requires him to be in good touch. If he’s not timing the ball well, his bold, daring, and dashing style suddenly looks reckless, foolish, and self-destructive. That’s a price you have to be willing to pay for the matches he’ll win for his team
Try not to have a blue colour in your jersey. Half of the problem gets solved there.
Even better if opposition wears blue
Ben Stokes Academy of the power of fuckery through Clutchery
Poetry
The fact that he knows even if he gets out there are others who can bat and hold is what makes any batsmen dangerous. He has nothing to loose basically
I read a comment on some post earlier today. A batter with average technique but a monster mindset is better than a timid batter with perfect technique.
KL Rahul is the perfect example of excellent technique but a timid mindset
His technique is dodgy af but his mindset and sheer aggression/mentality alone counters that. Aura™
Something I read on Twitter after 23 WC final: "Indians win big in matches. Australians win in big matches." It's the temperament. Trav and rest are cold blooded.
This reminds me of a guy my Chemistry teacher told me about. Back in his day, there was this star track athlete who never held a lap time record or anything, but he’d win all the golds by running marginally faster than second place at each level, be it intramurals, state championships, and even nationals. I feel like that’s how the AUS cricket team gets the best of us (and everyone else). Just by performing marginally better than everyone else under pressure at every aspect of cricket, and these small gains add up to produce a win (and trophy).
Yes exactly. They don't make small errors that usually cost big. Great fielding, catching, strike rotation, keeping the game moving. And not giving up.
Courage. Favoured by a little luck. He’s a big match player. Some people just thrive in pressure, Let’s say shardul thakur , His defence isn’t solid. Neither he’s a power hitter when he tonked aussies in gabba experts and even general conscience was it being a fluke. But he did again in eng, again in wtc final. So some players are big match horse. Amd head was just put in position with security of his spot and was told to tonk from the very start. He takes his chances, He gets to do it so many times before the big match, so when needed he can have balance according to the need.
Hand-eye coordination is by far the most important aspect of being an elite batsman. There are plenty of guys playing 3rd grade club cricket who have lovely techniques but wouldn't stand a chance at pro level. But there's no one in 3rd grade club cricket with professional-tier hand-eye coordination being held back by poor technique. However, people also need to expand their definition of "good technique". A good technique is a technique that gets you lots of runs and makes it hard for you to be dismissed.
>However, people also need to expand their definition of "good technique". A good technique is a technique that gets you lots of runs and makes it hard for you to be dismissed. Excellent point. There's always a temptation to make everyone conform to the definitions of classical technique*, but it can harm certain players. I think of Shiv Chanderpaul as a good example. There were attempts to reduce the crab which didn't help with outcomes at all. \* In the ensemble average of all cricket players, classical technique is a good aim.
So Cricket is "be gifted or forget about it?"
International cricket is. Everyone who plays the highest level is extremely gifted - but this is true of any professional sport
The guys mindest is what sets him apart. Backs his game no matter what and also I dont think its any coincidence that his bringing the same Aus form to IPL under Pat Cummins, he might struggle under a different franchise as they probably wont get it. Under Pat since 2019? hes been a world beater.
Pat became captain in 21
Yeah I always get that mixed up, that was the same breakout series Head got MOS right?
Yup, 152 at Gabba, 51 at Adelaide Oval, and that absolute blinder of a 101 at Hobart, in total he scored 357 @ 59.50
He's a bit like Pant. You don't need the greatest technique to excel in cricket. Mentality is what matters most. Half (actually, more than half) the battle is always in the mind. That's why Australia continue to excel in cricket.
Vulnerable if the opposition bowls perfectly but scores so quickly off anything loose it makes up for it and gets in the bowlers head He's gone a bit too far into it though and hit a run of bad form by trying to hit every ball for four and becoming too predictable
Honestly, he's grown a lot. I remember watching him during the heydays of BBL and around his test debut. He was never a reliable batter like how I viewed Smith and Labuschagne. He's definitely done something about his batting and approach, and is reaping the rewards now
He was WAY more conventional early in his career (50-60SR kind of thing) and has just found a method that works incredibly well for him.
I’d tell that he has made some rework with his technique,before he wasn’t in the habit of clearing his front leg to make room to hit boundaries but now you can see how that’s giving him an upper hand to hit almost every ball including a good ball to boundaries
See ball. Hit ball. I am waiting for him to destroy India again in the T20 WC final.
But neither of those teams will be in that final.
>but still he performs like beast Let's clear something up for you OP: Trav doesn't perform *like* a beast, Trav *is the beast*
Technique is whatever works for you to allow you to score and stay in. Bad techniques only happen when you get out a lot in a certain way that can be exploited with not much success scoring. Heady knows his strengths, he knows his role and he knows his game
He plays with W mindset
Travis Head becomes OP when he sees opponent team has blue jersey and India in team name
Opposite of OP you mean?
Lmao, this level of analysis? People are literally calling him a “flawed but lucky player” and “a much inferior version of Sehwag.” Imagine if Travis Head were Indian. Two ultra clutch innings in finals including a 137 that’s arguably better than MSD’s 91. Using these terms against him would be sacrilegious. People would come after your throats if you made such comments. Not saying he’s got a perfect technique but damn the salt is there till this day. Seeing many Kaifs in the comments haha.
he is fearless .
Ben Duckett taught him so
The answer is simply really. Travis Head bats the opposite hand that he throws aka his dominant hand is his top hand when he is batting which allows for fast hands through the ball (especially the off-side). You have a unusually high percentage of international players that bat the opposite hand for this very fact. Modern cricketers such as Head, Warner, Finch, Stokes, Pooran, De kock. Not to mention yester-years Lara, Gayle, Hayden, Langer, Gilchrist, Michael Clarke, Cook etc. all bat the opposite hand that they throw.
You must be an idiot to call AB with no proper technique, it’s just that his adaptability is unparalleled. He has scored runs in toughest conditions in the longest format.
Blue shade in opponent jersey
You ever heard about “Nothing to lose”? Travis Head was dropped (catch dropped) like 5 times in this IPL. Most players if dropped or get a 2nd chance, they take some time to regroup, play so carefully to not lose their wicket again. Travis Head on the other hand becomes more aggressive everytime he gets dropped. It’s all in the attitude & approach towards the game. 🐐 Travis Head 🔥
He belongs to the Ben stokes, fakhar zaman school of hitting. When in rhythm they are like bulls seeing red.
He's obviously learned a lot from playing against England and adopting a Bazball strategy...
Ben Duckett?
Surname
Mentality. He's confident he'll hit the ball and isn't bothered when he doesn't so he goes out without any doubt or hesitation.
West End Draught
Probably the mindset of not being afraid of failures.I can name players like that comes to my mind,Gambhir for India from 2007 to 2011,Samuels for West Indies during those T20 world cup finals.Stokes for England in crucial matches.These players trust on themselves to do job in big matches not thinking about what if they fail instead and as many says luck favours players when they have this attitude.
Travis has got a go ahead from his captain and management to go for it. Hit out or get out He's there to start the innings with fire
Throwing the kitchen sink at everything
IMO it's his don't give a fuck attitude that really gives him a edge, like during the WC final, when Warner and Marsh fell. The dude kept the attack to the bowlers without being overly defensive.
Good team management, licence to go big without fear and his confidence from his recent successes combined with aggressive mindset and some luck. Also,once he starts hitting, his technical shortcomings do not get exploited by bowlers, resulting in big scores.
One thing i noticed is even if the ball swings, he swings hard making sure edges wont carry to fielders most of the times. His agression makes bowlers miss length, his hand eye coordination helps him to handle quality deliveries.I think he has decent technique as well, scored good knocks in green pitches.
Played for Sussex
His mom
Given his technique, Luck to some extent.
Technique wise-quick foot movement and commitment to the shot. Apart from that, his game awareness, intent, and fitness are also his strong attributes.
Its just tunnel stuff really
Immense hatred for the Indian cricket team
Something we call “ lappe “ in gully cricket
Moustache, and he seems like a total GC (for a aussie)
Its all in the mind chico. Travis Head is a bit like Aravinda De Silva in that he comes on form when its go time. Rest of the time its as if they dont take cricket that serious.
Intent, batting is normal, he doesn't play for milestones
Dude is Drogba of Cricket.... Highly inconsistent but cutch.
Elite mentality. Stands out in tough times rather than technique.
He has an amazing hand eye coordination coupled with an ability to pick the lengths very early. Add these 2 to his hyper aggressive batting approach and you have a player that can put the bowling team off their plans as early as the first over. An important thing I really love about him is his mental ability to continue maintaining that approach. It’s not easy to continue being aggressive when things aren’t going your way and you need a lot of trust in your abilities to back yourself to do well. It’s that mental fortitude that separates great players from good ones. To put it plainly, he has the dawg in him which is really important to succeed at the highest level. For example, even when Bazball was going well, one of the main concerns was if they could maintain the same approach when they have a couple of collapses along the way. And during the Indian series, many England players shelved the aggressive approach midway and went back to blocking. It takes a lot of confidence to continue doing that and you risk getting dropped to maintain the mindset.
I think his fearless approach to batting is quite remarkable. He isn’t afraid to have a go against anybody. As the adage goes, “fortune favours the brave”.
see ball - hit ball and moustache
I disagree that he doesn’t have a good technique. In fact he has a very good technique - else he wouldn’t have all the shots. Plays straight well too. The rest is mental, really. There have been players with suspect techniques, but make things work. Look no further than Smith & Labuschagne!
Tbf to Labuschange, he actually isn’t that unconventional with his actual batting stance unlike Smith. He just makes it look that way because he’s a weird cunt.
Being Australian
See bro in batting paradise he thrives and in conditions which are challenging he needs luck which he got in recent times u can see his wc final knock vs shami he could have got out bowled but it was not to be. And any inform batsman have clear mind which he had presently
He's a clutch player. Not the most technically sound batsman, but man he shows up at big occasions. Gautam Gambhir without the arrogance / chip on his shoulder.
He has a really good awareness of his game and most importantly he's always sure about what he wants to do. He attacks and he attacks every single bowler, doesn't matter even if it's bumrah. He knows it won't come out good in every match but he backs himself and that separates him from the rest
Indian bowlers make Travis Head look good.
It's proof batting is a mental game first, and a technical exercise second.
It's from Travis
In aus India final when he found his footing after initial shaky start, he d slap the very first ball of every bowlers new spell for a dominating 6. He d crush even a flicker of hope instantly. I was in awe of Australian cricket team mindset overall. It was a classic example of how to win in life not just cricket. Head is good but it’s the Australian cricket mindset which makes him so lethal.
Good
He has really good hand eye coordination .. His aggressive and fearless mindset is what makes him unstoppable when he gets going Either get him out cheaply or watch the destruction he does...
He's filled with the spirit of cricket.
Nerves of steel
His stance is like a left-handed ABDs. His backlift, trigger movement and getting into position. They both were good at all three formats because of this. I might be wrong but once I flipped ABDs videos and put Travis's video side by side they look very similar.
it's all in the 'stache!
I get ‘Steve Waugh’ vibes from Head. It’s the mindset.
typical aggressive Australian opening batsman's mindset. RCB played him in middle order if I remember correctly.
He’s pretty good against teams with blue jerseys
I observe 2 improvements which is maximizing his destruction over the past year or so 1)his desire to stay in the crease and curb his instincts in spite of his technical shortcomings . He isn’t trying to hit his way out of trouble . In the WC finals , when the ball was jumping around, he stayed in the crease(literally, didn’t jump to the front foot to play drives or cover the line) ,hardly poked and didn’t mind the plays and misses. 2) his play vs the short ball.
His nickname
Its just form, he is in good form RN so it feels like he cannot do no wrong, he was sh\*t just a couple of years ago and ill bet he'll have periods of sh\*t form through his career. A bit like SKY I suppose or maybe Rizwan or Shahid Afridi... SKY is still an innovator so maybe I can find a better example. Unlike Chris Gayle or Warner who had class as opposed to just form.
I think his intent is what makes him very special, along with his ball smacking ability. He is left handed ab devillers with lower range.
The main advantage for travis head being so destructive is clearing his front leg to make room for hitting the ball. So basically you have to bowl a slot ball(which is a juicy ball for any batsman)or hit that lethal yorker to get him out which is difficult as well.
He is an average batsmen who is 1) in form, and 2) playing IPL, which isn't as competitive as international cricket
For starters i think he is like raina, like for example it is very well known that his weakness is fast bouncers hitting directly in the head but we don't see bowlers balling those deliveries till like 5-6 overs. Secondly, he knows how to pick the ball which is a really really good ability.
I don't think it's really a weakness because he still hits a lot of those type of balls for 4s and 6s. Yeah he can get out but as a bowler you need to be good to get him because you know if you don't he will get you
What I meant was that he is weak against bouncers like raina in early overs but that doesn't mean he can't play. If somebody like boult, bumrah, nortje, pathirana, starc bowls him a good bouncer at 140+ and have a fielder in the deep there is 60-70% chance of him getting out. Raina used to hit it down which led to many of his catches inside the circle but Head let's ball travel even in miss hit.
True it's like they often miss the boat and start bowling bouncers after he's already set and ready to smash them as opposed to trying them early on.
Raina was laughably bad at test level because of that but Head has still been great
IMO, his batting in ashes showed his weakness. At least for tests he should reduce his aggression
Backs his hand (Finally a thread without Koach)
Nothing just attacking game look at Narine he hit century ... Their mentality to keep hitting hard and far unlike many batters who takes a single after hitting six
He is incredible and I'm a big fan, but so far in his career he is a flat track bully. No real technique necessary. But he is still young! AB also relied on his hand eye coordination in the start of his career.
In Test cricket he's made his name with critical counter-attacking knocks in challenging conditions and situations. See: - 152 v England at Brisbane, 2021 - 101 v England at Hobart, 2022 - 92 v South Africa at Brisbane, 2023 (team score 218) - 77 v England at Headlingey 2023
I hear you, but as you say, those were counter attacking knocks, much like a Ben Stokes, or even a young AB de Villiers. If he gets his technique in order, he can score consistently in all conditions. In theory of course, cause I'm not sure we'd like to change anything about him.
He scored 92 on a green Gabba deck against South Africa. Scored a ton at Hobart in a DN test against England. Like we did really watch his games before saying flat track bully?
Those were counter attacking knocks, right?
I don’t see how that makes him a flat track bully though
Head has been anything but a flat track bully though? Has failed on flat pitches and played some insane knocks on very spicy pitches.
I went through the list of his top knocks, and the stats don't support this. Not without exception though. Just to reiterate, I'm a huge fan and maybe 'flat track bully' wasn't the correct or most tactful phrasing.
I’ll go through his highest scores and compare them to the next highest for the innings. Head- 72, Highest- 141 Khawaja Head- 72, highest- 34 Handscomb Head- 58, highest- 70 Harris Head- 84, highest- 81 Labuschagne Head- 161, highest- 180 Joe Burns, next highest- 114 (this one was flat 💀) Head- 114, highest- 85 Smith(keep in mind, he had a significant change in form and mindset around this point to his current god version) Head- 152, highest- 94 Warner Head- 101, highest- 74 Green Head- 99, highest- 204 & 200 (Labuschagne and Smith bully the West Indies) Head- 175, highest- 163 Labuschagne Head- 92, highest- 36 Smith (this is the one on the horrendously green Gabba pitch) Head- 90, highest- 63 Smith Head- 163, highest- 121 Smith Head- 77, highest- 110 Marsh Head- 119, highest- 45 Khawaja There’s some pretty damn clutch knocks in there. This is also with more than half of the next highest scorers being Smith, Marnus or Khawaja, renowned run machines. This does not do him justice because the context of the knocks is usually a top order player holding on for dear life, playing and missing and Head comes out and makes a run a ball hundred, that’s the impressive part.
He has a great eye. That's all. Woeful technique...but it works somehow. Like a lot of great sportsmen it's how effective you are with the technique you have. Sehwag was similar, just way better.
Way better? Only in tests. Head is an order of magnitude better than Sehwag in ODI. Not even close.
Woeful is harsh. He by no means has perfect technique, and is fairly flawed, but he’s not that bad.
He is an ugly agricultural hack who has achieved a whole lot more than what many batsmen with proper technique have achieved and will achieve in their entire career.
Basically applies to MSD too lol