Head 'not a true opener' but foresees long-term partnership

Although Travis Head still not does conceive of himself as a "true opener", the twice-crowned Allan Border Medallist hopes his fledgling new-ball union with Jake Weatherald can help Australia make history in the coming months.

Toasts for Head's second consecutive AB Medal, clinched at a quiet dinner in Brisbane on Friday evening, were curtailed by the Test squad's early departure the following morning for Darwin where they face Bangladesh next week. 

The country's smallest capital city is the take-off point for the first of 20-21 Tests on a 12-month odyssey that will also bring Pat Cummins' men to South Africa, India and England, the latter two tours marking this veteran side's two great white whales.

Among the few uncertainties over a remarkably stable Aussie team are Weatherald's long-term place in its XI, and whether his long-time Adelaide sounding board Head remains at the top of the order alongside him after his surprise elevation during last summer’s 4-1 Ashes triumph.

Weatherald averaged 22.33 in 10 innings against England, his bursts of square-of-the-wicket attacks showing glimpses of his potential as a damaging top-order batter. Equally importantly, according to Head, was his ability to hold his composure through one of sport's most intensely watched and scrutinised events.

Darwin, which counts Weatherald as its first born-and-bred Test player, provides a more laidback setting. As Scott Boland sung the local lad's praises to reporters on arrival at the city's airport on Saturday, a man oblivious to being only metres away from the star quick rested a Victoria Bitter stubby on an ATM while he withdrew cash.

Weatherald meanwhile has overcome an elbow injury that cut short his maiden English county stint, amassing 483 runs at 60.37 in nine innings for Leicestershire, to be one of the standouts in Australia's recent Brisbane-based preparations for the Bangladesh campaign.

"In the centre wickets we had this week, he was pretty impressive," Boland said of Weatherald, echoing Head's comments the previous evening in which he raved about how the left-hander has looked against the likes of Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

The promise of Weatherald's one-two punch with Head should see the partnership retained in the series also taking Test cricket to Mackay for the first time.

Head, after narrowly beating out Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc to win Australian cricket's biggest individual men's honour, expressed a heartfelt desire to prolong his partnership with his former Adelaide school cricket opponent.

"If I could hold up my end, I honestly think we can do that," he said when asked if he and Weatherald can be a long-term couple in Australia's busy run of matches. "Jake's had an extremely good County Championship season, he showed some really good signs in the Ashes series.

"I think he's someone who can hugely impact Australian cricket over a long period of time in the future. But for Jake to come into an Ashes series … to be under that amount of pressure publicly and on the field and to be still in the Test team is hugely important, as weird as that sounds."

In singing Weatherald's virtues as an aggressive early-innings ball-striker, Head referenced another South Australian teammate in Nathan McSweeney who was trialled as an opener the previous summer against India.

McSweeney's more circumspect approach yielded lesser returns – 72 runs at 14.40 – though he was not alone in being routinely picked apart by Jasprit Bumrah, and was discarded after three Tests.

The pivot to firstly Sam Konstas, and then Weatherald and Head after the exit of the never-shy David Warner, has generally aligned with a preference for aggression over conservatism from George Bailey and Andrew McDonald's selection panel.

It is an approach endorsed by the veteran Australian bowling attack given the flustering impact it can have on even the most experienced operators. 

"We kind of experienced it last year with England. Those guys come pretty hard in (openers Ben) Duckett and (Zac) Crawley and pretty much their whole batting line up," Boland said.

"With the new ball, you're looking to get into your groove and try and get as many balls in the right area as you can.

"But if those guys can put you off your game a little bit, it probably messes with you more mentally that you're getting your good balls scored off.

"I don't really think (Head and Weatherald) have to try too much. That's just how they bat. Putting pressure back on the bowlers is something that we like to do, and a lot of teams in cricket now try and do that, just to try and put the bowlers off their game.

"Especially when the conditions are in the bowler's favour, the more the batters can put them off to get them out of that spot, it's more beneficial for the batters."

Head's expression of interest to remain as an opener came with the caveat that he does not intend to "pigeonhole" himself there, and that the variance in pitches over the four continents Australia play on between now and August next year may require occasional tinkering with the batting order.

His admission that he still does not see himself as a traditional Test opener even after blasting three hundreds against England from the top is based more on his lack of pedigree performing the role.

Before his unexpected elevation in November's Perth Test, he had only batted there 10 times in first-class cricket: twice for Worcestershire in a 2018 stint, the rest in Tests in Asia.

But in partnering a relative greenhorn in international cricket, Head conceives of his role at the top of the order as one that can unlock the best of both him and Weatherald.

"I'm not a true opening batter, if that makes sense," he said. "If I can hold up my end of the partnership, I think that will make a great partnership.

"(Weatherald has) looked unbelievable this week. The way he's batted in these practice games against high-quality bowling like Pat and 'Starcy' and 'Hoff' (Hazlewood) – he's looking like he's got his game in real order.

"I feel like I've got high expectations for him over the next couple of weeks. We temper that obviously because it's international cricket and nothing is expected and nothing is guaranteed.

"If I can keep him in a good headspace and play my role as a partner I think we can create a really good partnership that can lead the team really well and put us in good positions over the next 18 months.

"I've played a lot of cricket with Jake, we've got a great relationship. I'm hugely excited for what his next 18 months looks like, and especially the next month."

NRMA Insurance Bangladesh Test series

First Test: August 13-17, Marrara Stadium, Darwin, 10am (local)

Second Test: August 22-26, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 10am (local)

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Bangladesh squad (first Test): Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Musfik Hasan