England captain Ben Stokes said that Travis Head’s spectacular 69-ball century had left him and his team stunned, as Australia survived the pandemonium of the first three innings to win the maiden Ashes Test in Perth by eight wickets with three days to go.
He attacked from the start, helping Australia reach their target in just 28.2 overs. The innings saw Australia completely outplay England in their own hard-hitting manner. Stokes praised Head’s efforts during the post-match presentations, noting the match winner’s influence on the outcome.
Head scored an incredible 123 runs off only 83 deliveries on a pitch where the pacers were having a good time in the middle. His blitzkrieg in Perth left England with no opportunity of fighting back in the fourth innings, and Stokes believes that one hit has left him in complete awe of the left-hander.
“We’re a little bit shellshocked there. That innings from Travis Head was pretty phenomenal. It’s quite raw, quite fresh at the moment but, geez, that was some knock. It’s knocked the wind out of us,” said Stokes to the broadcasters.
Bravery the key to success in Perth, says Ben Stokes
Asked if he regretted England’s approach in their second innings, particularly the trio of big shots from Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, and Joe Root during the post-lunch collapse, Stokes insisted that the team’s strategy had not been flawed. He added that Head’s own success illustrated that the approach was sound, but it was the execution that let them down.
“If you look at the way the game eked out, the guys who seemed to have success out there with bat in hand were the guys who were really brave and took the game on. Anyone who tried to stay around there and try and occupy the crease didn’t really seem to have too much success,” said Stokes.
“On wickets like this, you never think you’ve got enough, so if you find yourself in a position where you’re the guy who’s managed to get in, try and give yourself the best chance of going on. There was a lot of assistance there when the bowlers put the ball in the right areas. The guys who were brave enough to knock the bowlers off their lengths seem to find success on that,” he added.
Now, the second Test is scheduled to be played from December 4 at the Gabba in Brisbane. The upcoming encounter is slated to be a Pink-Ball fixture, and it will be interesting to see if The Three Lions are able to bounce back after losing out on the opportunity to take a lead in the series. Stokes-led England might be tempted to make a few changes to their line-up after a performance where they had little to cheer about.
India
