Head enjoying role at top of spin class

Travis Head continues to blossom as an off-spinner and is relishing the role as Australia's leading slow bowler in the ongoing VB ODI series against Pakistan.

The South Australian played a key role in the home team's seven-wicket triumph at the WACA – which gave them a 2-1 series lead – on Thursday, returning 2-65 from 10 overs.

Head also sent down 10 overs – and conceded only 28 runs – in the series opener at the Gabba.

While the 23-year-old has been the beneficiary of Australia's decision to overlook leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who was the world's leading ODI wicket-taker in 2016, for the first three games of the five-match series, fellow off-spinner Glenn Maxwell is yet to send down an over against Pakistan despite being picked for the Test tour of India.

Australia skipper Steve Smith has put his faith in Head to shoulder the slow-bowling load, but with Maxwell poised to play a key role in the four-match series against India next month, questions have been raised about his absence from the bowling crease.

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Allrounder Maxwell was one of five spinners picked in the 16-man touring party for the series against the world's No.1 ranked Test team, alongside Nathan Lyon, Steve O'Keefe, Ashton Agar and Mitchell Swepson.

Maxwell has 45 wickets from 70 ODI appearances at 38.18 apiece, while Head has eight victims from 18 matches at 52.

In first-class cricket, Maxwell has 56 wickets at 40.51, while Head has 21 scalps at 57.

It is worth noting, however, that Maxwell has been honing his bowling for longer than Head, who has seven Sheffield Shield wickets so far in 2016-17, while the former has one from limited opportunities.

"I think we're on par, I guess, and I'm the lucky one at the minute who's getting a bowl," Head told reporters today.

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"If he gets his opportunity as well, it works the same way. Anyone in the team who gets given the ball is ready to go and really confident in their skill-set. It's nice that I'm getting a bowl at the minute.

"I feel like I'm bowling really well and working hard at training. It's nice to be getting a bowl, but you've got to keep taking wickets and doing the job, otherwise there's other guys – as you can see in the side – that can do that job.

"I love bowling, so it's nice to get 10 overs out.

"It's a difficult place to bowl spin (at the WACA), so I found it challenging, but it was nice to get some reward."

Head grabbed the key wickets of Sharjeel Khan and Asad Shafiq as Pakistan reached 7-263.

He could have had three victims, with wicketkeeper Matthew Wade missing a stumping chance when Umar Akmal was on one.

Australia powered to 3-265 with five overs to spare, with Smith (108 not out) and debutant Peter Handscomb (82) combining for a 183-run stand for the third wicket to bankroll victory.

"The coach (Darren Lehmann) put some questions on us during the week and said we'd been playing really well – it was just about going in fresh and relaxed and going out and doing what we do well," Head said.

"I think we did that with that partnership. They put on 180; it wins you most games."

Australia will have the chance to secure the series at the SCG on Sunday.

"There's a lot of guys in form and the guys at the top in the batting are in great form – they just probably haven't got the runs they would have liked," Head said.

"We're bowling extremely well at the minute and momentum's a great thing, so if we can take that to Sydney – we played really well against New Zealand in Sydney – and replicate what we did yesterday, it would be really nice to wrap it up."