Head's promotion born from years of quiet lobbying

Travis Head's masterstroke promotion to open the batting in the Ashes opener was the result of years of lobbying by the middle-order dynamo to Australia's Test leaders.

Fill-in captain Steve Smith was still too stunned by Head's extraordinary 67-ball hundred, the quickest ever in the fourth innings of a Test, to consider whether the left-hander might be a suitable fit to remain in the opening role.

But Head revealed after his breathtaking 123 off 83 balls that he has been subtly putting forward his case to take on the new ball in the years since David Warner retired at the end of the 2023-24 home summer.

In that time, Usman Khawaja has had six different opening partners (including Head). Jake Weatherald would have been his seventh in Perth had back spasms not prevented him from taking his regular place in both innings.

Head's campaigning to move up the order has been made behind closed doors. He brushed off suggestions he could open against India before the Test summer last year, dismissing it as "chatter".

Regular captain Pat Cummins has often played down the importance of batting orders. With Smith in charge for the first Test, Australia pulled the trigger.

"We came off at the tea break (on day two) and we were umming and ahhing who to put up top and Heady was like, 'I'll do it. I should do it'," Smith told reporters after Australia went 1-0 up in the NRMA Insurance series following their eight-wicket, two-day win.

"I was like, 'Go for it'.

"We didn't like how things functioned in the first innings with Marn(us Labsucahgne) going up top, and me batting three. So Trav took it on and played one of the great Ashes knocks."

Andrew McDonald and Cummins' preference has long been to have Labuschagne, Smith (who was also trialled as an opener for four Tests) and Head lining the middle order.

All three have trialled as openers in the years since Warner retired.

"We went around in circles a little bit once Steve had a crack at it," Head said.

"And each time I sort of just put my name in and said, 'Why not?'

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"I do it in other formats. Could there be an opportunity to do what Davey had done. We were sort of looking for that role, someone to go out there and be a bit more aggressive. 

"I've done it in international cricket a bit now. So I brewed the idea - but I can also see that (Labuschagne, Smith and himself at) three, four and five has worked pretty well.

"I understand where Ron (McDonald) and Pat are at, so all the conversations have been pretty fluent.

"We have a great relationship, and that's how they wanted to build their team around us at three, four and five, and it's worked pretty well … but I'm always putting my hand up.

"If the team requires it. I'm more than happy to do it and keep the option there."

Head has of course become one of limited-overs cricket's most dominant white-ball openers.

But his experience in the same role in Tests was limited to eight innings in Asia (averaging 46, passing fifty twice), most recently in Sri Lanka earlier this year, before Saturday.

The subcontinental shift had been explained by Australia as wanting to get their star batter into the action when spin is deployed from ball one and in conditions in which the start of the innings often is the best time to bat.

After being skittled for just 132 inside 46 overs early on day two, Australia were similarly willing to look outside the square when their turn to bat came around later in the day during a helter-skelter Test.

Smith conceded their rushed decision to send Labuschagne to partner newcomer Weatherald the previous day after Khawaja spent too much time off the field while Australia bowled was a mistake.

The move saw Smith called to the crease in the first over of the innings when Weatherald was pinned lbw for a second-ball duck, exposing him and Labuschagne to the new ball when England's high-pace attack were at their freshest.

With England's second dig lasting less than 35 overs and Khawaja's condition having worsened, Head was given the nod.

"I thought it was the right opportunity to do it. We probably missed a trick a little bit the first innings. I just felt like we lined up better that way," he said.

"I've played a lot of cricket with Jake as well, so I was pretty keen to try and take some pressure off him. I just felt like the moment was right – batting with Marnus and Smudge at three and four feels right.

"It feels like that's settled (with) two high quality players who have an exceptional record here batting in the first things.

"I felt like everything lined up. That was the right decision. They still had to make that decision. But I was pretty bullish around the fact that I felt like I could do it again."

Head turned what looked like a tricky chase into a cake-walk.

With England's pace attack struggling to match their ferocity from the previous day, Head grew in confidence as Ben Stokes got increasingly desperate with his tactics.

The ring of fielders behind point on the off-side that stopped Head from scoring in one of his favoured areas in the first innings, when he eventually bunted a catch to mid-on off Stokes to be out for 21, was less effective as the visiting bowlers failed to nail their lines a day later.

England reverted to the short-ball plan they favoured against Head during the 2023 Ashes but it became predictable, with the batter swatting balls between and over the army of fielders stationed all over the vast playing arena.

Head recognised the tactics as having the imprint of England bowling mentor David Saker, a former coach of Victoria who enjoy a spirited rivalry with South Australia.

"The last Ashes, I didn't get a full ball for the first two or three Tests," said Head.

"David Saker being one of their bowling coaches – I had the fly trap at one stage there, when I walked out with two or three points and a couple of gullies – it felt very Victorian like.

"So I sort of know like they're going to go through those plans.

"I've always prepared (for), 'Is it going to be full and straight with leg side field? Is it going to be, 'Hang it wide with points and test me there?' Is it going to be short?'

"There's sort of three or four plans that everyone sort of spins through in an innings. We flowed through all those at certain points of this Test. So no surprise … They've done their research and their planning."

The question now is whether Australia stick to a strategy that has delivered them an Ashes win that will go down in folklore.

"Let's digest this first," Smith said when asked if Head could be a long-term Test opener.

"The last couple of hours has been pretty incredible and it's probably too early to say anything on that."

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes

First Test: Australia win by eight wickets

Second Test: December 4-8, The Gabba, Brisbane (D/N), 3pm AEDT

Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 10:30am AEDT

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT

Australia squad (first Test only): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood