Australia batsman Travis Head reveals the story behind his resurgence after struggling for form, battling self-doubt and being dropped from the Australia squad following the 2020 Boxing Day Test against India mentality.
As Australia and India prepare for the crucial fourth Test, with the series tied at 1-1, Head has emerged as one of Australia’s most influential players – a move away from the batsman who left the MCG with an uncertain future. Very far.
Hyde’s struggles in the 2020 Boxing Day Test were well documented. Australia lost the match by 8 wickets after hitting two marginal balls outside the stumps by 38 and 17 runs respectively. In the next Test, his place in the team was sacrificed to debutant Will Pucovski, and questions began to circulate as to Head’s suitability for Test cricket.
“I lost my (national) contract and went to Sussex where I performed poorly as well,” Hyde was quoted as saying by ABC News. “I tried to keep batting the way I did but it didn’t work out. ”
It wasn’t until late in his time at Sussex, during a game against Kent at Canterbury, that Hyde experienced a crucial moment. “In my last game at Sussex, I made 49 for 46 in the second innings and I thought, I’m just going to have to struggle. I was doing really well, so I thought, ‘Why should I? What if you don’t?
That innings, born out of frustration and freedom, proved to be a career-changing moment. Hyde’s change of mindset finally materialized when he was recalled for the 2021/22 Ashes series. Since then, his performance has been outstanding. In 33 Tests since his return, he averaged 46.71, hit nine centuries and was named Man of the Match eight times.
His contribution in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy is particularly impressive. In the first three Tests, Head scored 409 runs at an average of 81.80, scoring hundreds in both Adelaide and Brisbane. These performances firmly established him as one of Australia’s key players.
Looking back on his journey, he said: “I was worried about my skills at the time. My theory was that if I could stay there long enough, my aggressive approach would take over and I would score there.
“Right now I’m like, don’t worry about getting out. If you can score, score. If you can’t, get into good position so you don’t get out. I’m more worried about the run than anything else right now.”