How Head's heroics could unlock radical shift in tactics

Travis Head's first Test-turning assault might embolden Australia to abandon tradition and adopt a limited-overs cricket-inspired approach to batting order flexibility.

Coach Andrew McDonald admits Head's Perth ton from the top could see the Ashes hosts contemplate keeping their top-six structure fluid, with pitch conditions or match-ups to determine what order they bat in.

On Saturday, Head revealed his second-innings promotion (filling for the incapacitated Usman Khawaja) had come on the back of him petitioning to take on the new ball for some time despite having not batted above No.4 in first-class cricket in Australia for more than a decade.

Pat Cummins, who was sidelined from the NRMA Insurance opener due to injury, has bluntly labelled batting orders as "overrated", underlining a shift in strategic thinking that has emerged during his and McDonald's tenure.

"Patty's been on the record around (picking) the best six batters and putting them in positions that potentially suit the surface and the opposition," McDonald told reporters from his home in Geelong on what should have been the penultimate day of the first Test.

"So we've hypothesised around a middle-order player going up to the top order in the second innings if (the pitch) happened to flatten out, particularly if we need quick runs, and the wicket was going to deteriorate.

"In our strategy and our planning, we have tabled that from time to time. Over the years, we've had batters at the top of the order that are able to do that role as well.

"But if you didn't, and it was a specific role to go out there and chase a smaller total – which presented like the one in Perth – you think the conditions might get a little bit more challenging towards the back end, (it would be a consideration).

"You do it in one-day cricket. You front-end some of your innings when you know the back-end is going to be difficult to chase down the runs.

"Then there's other times in one-day cricket where it's difficult up front and you back-end your innings, and you put all your power at the back-end.

"Can that transition into Test cricket? Are people ready for that? It's a conversation that we have had.

"We've had a conversation around Travis opening the batting for a long period of time … now that it's out there, happy to talk about it. Will we do it if it presents at the right time? Potentially."

The breadcrumbs on the line of thinking that unlocked Head's move up from position five to one have been laid out by McDonald, Cummins and co. in recent years.

Incidentally, the genesis of the shift involved both Khawaja and Head.

Going back to the last home Ashes campaign in 2021-22, Cummins' first Test series as skipper when McDonald was the side's senior assistant under head coach Justin Langer, Khawaja and Head were fighting it out for the last vacancy in the XI; the No.5 berth.

Head won out and his series-defining Gabba ton vindicated the still-new selection chief George Bailey's first big call in the job. After Khawaja made twin tons at five when Head missed the fourth Test due to illness, the Queenslander held his spot when Head returned and instead went to the top to partner David Warner.

Since then, Australia have, to many pundits' distaste, typically viewed 'specialist' opening experience as an optional extra rather than a prerequisite for the Test job.

Head has opened with some success in Asia, averaging 46 with two half-centuries from eight innings in India and Sri Lanka, while he has become one of cricket’s most dominant white-ball openers in recent years.

After Warner's retirement in early 2024, Steve Smith had a turn opening in Tests after Cameron Green was considered for the role. Nathan McSweeney was later plucked from batting three and four in the Sheffield Shield to take on Jasprit Bumrah last summer, while Marnus Labuschagne was tried in the World Test Championship final.

None of the Smith, McSweeney and Labuschagne experiments could be viewed as successes. Equally, it is difficult to categorially pass judgement on the selections of Sam Konstas and Jake Weatherald, who both open for their states.

Australia's approach is filtering down the chain.

Josh Inglis on Monday blazed a match-winning unbeaten 125 from only 107 balls opening the batting for the Cricket Australia XI against England Lions.

Another lower-order keeper, Sam Harper, hit 85 while opening for Victoria in this Sheffield Shield round.

Mitchell Owen looked poised to likewise face the new ball for Tasmania this round before suffering an injury, while Mitch Marsh has been floated as an option for a top-order spot if he makes a Shield return this season.

None of those players are traditional, hard-nosed openers.

More immediately pressing for Australia is how they might recast their team for their rematch with England at the Gabba next week in light of Head's brilliance.

"We've got a lot to consider," said McDonald. "Batting orders are always debated heavily. Over a period of time the middle-order players have been the popular ones to open the batting.

"I think (Head's century) gave us a little bit of a lens potentially to the future in terms of adjusting batting orders in second innings, which is something that we have discussed.

"To be able to put different people in different positions with the scenario that was presented. This one happened probably through a bit more chance, and the unfortunate injury to Usman Khawaja.

"But I think it really opens up that discussion more than anything else for us."

A major factor in the decision for Brisbane will be Khawaja's fitness for his home Test.

With 2,929 runs at 44, the left-hander is the most prolific opener in the world since his recall almost four years ago.

His form over the past 18 months is patchy, however; he has passed fifty twice in his past 26 innings, during which time he averages 29.

His back spasms, his first such episode of the condition, worsened over the two days in Perth with medicos performing further tests this week to ascertain whether there was a more serious underlying issue.

His absence for the second Test, through injury or otherwise, would open several possibilities.

Weatherald impressed on debut and Australia and could maintain the successful union they stumbled upon between him and Head, which could then allow Australia to bolster their middle-order with Inglis, Marsh or Beau Webster.

Head's success could also encourage selectors to pick Inglis or Marsh to take on England's new-ball attack.

McDonald said his "gut feel" was that Khawaja would be fit for the pink-ball match under lights.

"Unfortunately, that back spasm took its toll in the first innings and got worse into day two, which is something that's pretty common. It's difficult once your back starts spasming to get it under control," he said.

"We'll just work through his fitness. I'm not sure where he's at medically. There was discussions around further investigation as to whether it was more serious than what we first anticipated.

"Everyone's going to be forecasting forward. But we get to camp in six days' time, so it's a long way out, a lot of information to gather between now and then, and hopefully Usman is fit and available for selection."

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes

First Test: Australia won 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