Travis Head Powers Australia To Humbling Ashes Test Win Over England Inside Two Days

The news from Perth is that nan catalogue of awesome English calamities successful Australia has a marque caller entry. For nan first clip successful 104 years an Ashes Test lucifer has been wrapped up wrong conscionable 2 days and England, connected nan receiving extremity of an eight-wicket thumping, whitethorn already beryllium broken.

Ben Stokes will doubtless push backmost astatine that notion, specified is his refusal to ever propulsion successful nan towel. But arsenic Travis Head trim and carved his measurement to a breathtaking 69-ball century, vaporising a target of 205 successful conscionable 28.2 overs, nan psychological rustle landed by nan hosts felt greater than their 1-0 lead.

Australia were sensational successful effecting nan turnaround here, Mitchell Starc turning his seven-wicket haul connected time 1 into a 10-wicket Test lucifer and Scott Boland, 4 for 33, rediscovering his mojo.

Ben Stokes near reeling by different Travis Head bound arsenic England’s onslaught crumbled connected time two. A sadistic eight-wicket nonaccomplishment that helped nutrient nan first two-day Ashes Test since 1921. Photograph: Philip Brown/Getty Images

From 59 for 1 astatine luncheon – a lead of 105 runs – England collapsed to 164 each out, a full that would person been acold worse but for immoderate thrash from nan little order.

The aboveground had seen a wicket autumn each 3 and half overs connected mean by that stage. And pinch Australia needing nan highest full of nan match, nan England supporters who had roared connected a 50-run pushback from Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse had each logic to judge that thing was settled.

Step guardant Head, opening nan batting successful nan absence of Usman Khawaja and delivering nan benignant of innings that will only further nan Australians’ guffaws astir alleged Bazball. By nan clip he holed retired pinch 13 runs required and walked disconnected to a opinionated ovation, Head had made 123 from conscionable 83 balls – and absolute mincemeat retired of England’s bowlers.

Fans hail Travis Head aft his decisive knock. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“I could easy person been retired successful nan first over,” Head said afterwards. “Didn’t really matter: I thought that was nan correct process, nan correct measurement of thinking. Go retired location and spot what happens, and it worked today. It’s bully to group nan reside successful nan series. I consciousness sorry for nan 60,000 that were owed to travel present tomorrow! What a start.”

As for Stokes, he admitted being “shellshocked a small bit, wide eyed aft that to spot what unfolded”. Speaking to nan BBC’s Test Match Special, nan England skipper added: “It’s difficult to settee successful pinch plans erstwhile you look up and nan runs are coming down quickly. We were very assured having a 200-run lead for Australia to chase. The measurement that nan wicket was playing was tough. There was a batch successful it for nan bowlers.

“Looking backmost connected it, if you’re nan 1 retired nan pinch nan opportunity successful nan middle, you’ve sewage to make judge nan mentality that you’ve ne'er had enough. The ones that had occurrence were nan ones who were brave capable to look nan ball.”

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