Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Football
Netball
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Overrated: Head agrees with Cummins’ thoughts on batting orders
Lachlan Geleit • December 1st, 2025 11:28 am
Travis Head is more than happy to continue opening the batting for Australia.
Head opened the batting for the first time down under during the second innings of the first Test win in Perth, replacing the injured Usman Khawaja at the top of the order.
Things paid off immediately for the left-hander who notched a swashbuckling 123 to lead Australia to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory in a game that was dominated by the bowlers for the first three innings.
While Head opens in white-ball cricket for Australia and in Test cricket in Asian conditions, he’s remained at No. 5 or 6 at home despite the Aussies struggling to replace David Warner at the top since his retirement in January 2024.
But as a shock to all, Head revealed post the first Test that he’s long thrown himself up as an option to move into an opening role. He reaffirmed that stance as he leaves the choice in the hands of decision-makers ahead of the second Test in Brisbane.
“They've understood where I’ve sat with it for a period of time now,” Head told SEN Mornings.
“We've obviously talked about the replacement for David Warner, and I always threw my name up and always threw the option there. Obviously I do it in international white ball cricket.
“So, I threw myself as an option if that's what was necessary for the team and best suited for the team. We've been in and out of that conversation a fair bit over the last two years. We're back at it again.
“So, for me, it's just about working out where Pat (Cummins), Steve (Smith), Ron (Andrew McDonald), Bails (George Bailey) and those guys see me best in the team and where I can best contribute and how we win games of cricket.
“There's no doubt we're having those conversations… but I’m just happy to do what the team requires.”
While Head is clearly a capable opener, one reason why he’s remained at five is due to the Aussies not wanting to disrupt one of their biggest weapons.
If they do prefer to keep the South Australian in the middle order, he’s happy to open on a situational basis, as long as there’s someone else in the Aussie XI who’s okay with going the other way.
“I think Pat's talked about batting orders being overrated in the past, and I tend to agree with that,” Head said.
“I think they’re situational, and there are moments where you can change with what you feel as a team.
“The other day, I felt like the decision that we made was a positive one. We leaned into it. I thought it was a great option. I thought it was the right option.
“That doesn't necessarily mean that they were going to always let me do it, and that was never going to also mean that I was going to perform well. But I thought it was the right decision. We went out, and everything worked.
“But if we're going to change orders, you need to find someone at the other end who's happy to do it the other way.
“If you're hypothetically talking about me batting five in the first innings and potentially opening in the second, you've got to find someone who's willing enough to potentially open on the first day and bat five in the second innings.
“That could probably be the harder way of going about things, having to bat on a green deck on Day 1 and a deteriorated wicket in the third or fourth innings.”
If Head does shift to open the batting, the likelihood is that it spells the end of Usman Khawaja’s Test career with the 38-year-old struggling for form and fitness in what seems destined to be his last summer in Aussie colours.
While Head understands that a shift could see the veteran losing his place in the team, he doesn’t expect any decision either way to affect their personal relationship.
“Uz and I have a really good relationship,” Head said.
“It's not a real conversation yet. We don't know what way it's going to go. We've only just gotten to Brisbane. In the next few days, we’ll find out more.
“We’ll probably have a joke about it… he does laugh about the fact I got COVID four or five years ago, and he got him back in the team.
“Let's see where we get to with that, but we have a great relationship, and I don't think it comes down to me or him on where this goes,
“It comes down to decision-making of the people in charge.”
The second Test between Australia and England at the Gabba begins on Thursday. Listen to every ball LIVE on SEN – your home of cricket.
