Ravi Shastri left speechless by Travis Head’s ‘special’ Ashes opener carnage

There’s a good reason why Travis Head got the nickname ‘headache’ in India. The left-handed batsman has been consistently upping his game when Australia face tough challenges; This is a fact well known by the Indian team as well. In the ODI World Cup 2023 and World Test Championship (WTC) final held in the same year, Head showcased his talent by dominating the Indian bowlers and leading Pat Cummins’ side to remarkable victories. But the 31-year-old had arguably played the best innings of his career in the recent first Ashes Test against England at Perth’s Optus Stadium.

In the last innings, Head scored 123 runs, making his achievement all the more important as Australia chased a target of 205 runs on a difficult and lively pitch in Perth. Notably, he did not bat at his usual middle-order position and stepped in to open the innings due to the absence of Usman Khawaja.

Former India all-rounder and head coach Ravi Shastri could barely contain his excitement after witnessing Head’s remarkable performance in Perth; this enabled Australia to chase the target of 205 in just one session and complete the match against England in under two days.

Shastri also touched on how Head silenced the entire Indian crowd with his century in the 2023 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

“Travis Head… two years ago you plunged my country into silence. And today you did it again in the best format of the game, in great style, with one of the great innings. Take a bow. England… this was special,” Shastri wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Travis Head… two years ago you plunged my country into silence. And today, you have done it once again, in the best format of the game, with a magnificent innings, a magnificent innings. Take a bow. England… this was special #ashes #Cricket #AusvsEng #HEAD pic.twitter.com/uUDD4BOtTU

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) 22 November 2025

With Usman Khawaja ruled out due to injury, the Australian management faced a dilemma as to who would open the innings after 205 runs.

Ultimately it was decided that Head would field alongside debutant Jake Weatherald, and the decision proved to be masterful. The 31-year-old attacked the England bowlers aggressively from the start and reached his century in just 69 balls.

Although he was eventually dismissed by Brydon Carse, the damage had already been done and Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith later scored victories for Australia, giving the team a 1-0 lead in the series. Following his dismissal, Head received congratulations from Ben Stokes and the rest of the England squad on the field.

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