Travis Head Envisions Continued Opening Role for Australia in Ashes

Travis Head can envisage himself continuing to open the batting for Australia at the end of next year's Ashes. The positive mindset of the back-to-back Allan Border Medal winner is no surprise. Head was a revelation in home conditions in last year's Ashes series with three centuries after moving up from the middle order. Ahead of the opening Test against Bangladesh in Darwin, the 32-year-old was asked if his order switch was short-term or whether it could work across the 20 or more Tests Australia will play in the next 12 months. There was a sense that Head's move up the order against England was intended to counter their ultra-aggressive "Bazball". It worked so well that the term "Travball" was coined. Prior to the home Ashes, his stints as an opener had been short-lived. Head was unstoppable on home tracks in the Ashes series, but he will face a variety of surfaces in Australia, South Africa, England and India in the next 12 months. He says he is not worried about playing in different conditions. "I feel like I have been adaptable in the places that I have played," Head said. "In India and England I have opened the batting, which is a slightly different to Australia. "Everything is going to be different, but what I have been able to do over my career is problem solve the best that I can and work through challenges — whether they are green wickets or flat wickets. "It will look different in every Test match or every series. I am trying to be as calm and consistent as I can." Whether Head stays an opener will depend largely on how he performs and also on the displays of the middle order. Tweaks may be made but right now Head plans to be opening in the final Test of next year's away Ashes series. "I think it will work," he said. "If I have done it for [another] 20 Tests and I am sitting there in a few years and I have opened the batting the whole time … I would have done an OK job and been consistent, contributed and had a good partnership with Jake [Weatherald]. "It is a new challenge coming here and a new challenge in South Africa in a month's time and I am looking forward to the challenge." International cricket coach Joe Gatting has posted videos of how Head plans for a variety of scenarios and surfaces and he is expected to continue to find the best approach in all conditions. "We have a lot of footage and we couldn't be more resourced in that space. I'll continue to do that," Head said.