Australia batter Travis Head revealed the mindset behind the resurgence after struggling for form, battling self-doubt, and getting dropped from the Australian side following the Boxing Day Test against India in 2020.
Fast forward to the present, and Head's career resurgence has been nothing short of remarkable, illustrated by his back-to-back centuries in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. As Australia and India prepare for the crucial fourth Test, the series locked at 1-1, Head stands as one of Australia's most influential players - a far cry from the batter who walked off the MCG with his future uncertain.
The struggles of Head in the 2020 Boxing Day Test are well known. Dismissed twice, edging balls outside the off-stump for scores of 38 and 17, Australia went on to lose the match by eight wickets. His place in the team was sacrificed for debutant Will Pucovski in the next Test and questions about Head's suitability for Test cricket began doing the rounds.
"I lost my (national) contract and then went to Sussex, and I stunk it up there as well," Head was quoted by ABC News as saying. "I tried to keep batting the way I was batting, and it wasn't working."
It wasn't until a game against Kent at Canterbury, late in his stint with Sussex, that Head experienced a pivotal moment.
"In one of my last games at Sussex, I got 49 off 46 in the second innings and thought I am just going to slog." And I did well so thought, Why don't I just do that?
That innings, born out of frustration and freedom, proved to be a career-altering moment. Head's mindset shift came to fruition when he was recalled for the 2021/22 Ashes series. Since then, his performances have been nothing short of extraordinary. In 33 Tests since his return, he has averaged 46.71, hit nine centuries, and been named Player-of-the-Match eight times.
His contributions in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy have been impressive. Head has scored 409 runs with an average of 81.80 across the first three Tests, scoring centuries both at Adelaide and Brisbane. These performances have well and truly made him one of Australia's key players.
Reflecting on his journey, he said, "I was worried about my technique back then. My theory was if I could stay out there long enough, my aggressive approach would take over, and I would score runs by being there.".
"Now I am like, don't worry about getting out. If you can score, score. And if you can't, get into good positions to not get out. I'm more worried about runs now than anything else."
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