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📻 IMPORTANT AUCKLAND UPDATE 📻
"If you were picking the team tomorrow...": Head on his future batting position for Australia
Zac Sharpe • January 7th, 2026 1:34 pm
After beginning the 2025/26 summer batting at number five for Australia, Travis Head has enjoyed his move to the top of the order, with the much-loved Aussie not ruling out a more permanent move to the opening position soon.
With scores of 123, 33, 22, 10, 170, 12, 46 and now 163 since moving to what was once previously Usman Khawaja’s position, Head has seemingly helped answer the heavily weighted question that has been put upon the Australian Test team ever since David Warner announced his retirement, which was who would be the next opener for Australia.
And yet despite the pressure that this role has demanded for numerous years now, Head’s self confidence in his game and his laid-back approach hasn’t wavered – leading to the exciting proposition that Australia may have finally found their answer to this heavily burdened question.
“I feel like I hold myself accountable wherever I play. I don’t hold any more motivation or feel like I need to take more responsibility in any other position when I bat,” Head said on SEN Cricket.
“It’s just going out there and trying to continue the same process, the same blueprint for a long time now.
“I want to be positive. I want to be aggressive on bad balls and be really sound on good balls and be out there for as long as I possibly can.”
When questioned if the challenge has been a tough one for him, Head assured that it’s had the opposite effect as to what most would widely assume – expressing his enjoyment for the position and what the future potentially lies for himself at the top of the order.
"I've enjoyed the challenge,” Head said.
“If that is the case moving forward, I'd be more than happy to do it. If you were picking the team tomorrow I'd be opening the batting but we've got 7-8 months to worry about that.
“It’s all enjoyment for me. I’m enjoying what I’m doing, I enjoy batting, I enjoy the game, I enjoy the partner at the other end enjoying what we do and having a bit of fun.”
Head will look to back up his superb first innings score with a match-winning tally in the second innings – if Australia are required to bat again over the final two days of the series.
If not, then the Test attention will turn to South Africa in September, where the question will be asked again whether or not Australia stick with the South Australian at the top of the order.
Listen to Travis Head's full chat HERE:
