Travis Head‘s impressive 140 propelled Australia to a commanding position in the second day-night Test against India at the Adelaide Oval. By tea on day two, Australia had established a 152-run lead.
The 30-year-old’s innings was a characteristic display of his aggressive batting style, entertaining the home crowd.
Batting at number five, Head maintained a strike rate of nearly a run a ball. His innings included 17 fours and four sixes, driving Australia’s score to 332-8 in response to India’s first innings total of 180.
Watch: Travis Head marks his century with a special tribute to his newborn
At tea, Mitchell Starc remained unbeaten on 18, while captain Pat Cummins was dismissed for 12. Marnus Labuschagne also made a significant contribution with a determined 64.
Australia aims to level the five-match series after a heavy 295-run defeat in the opening match in Perth.
The second session witnessed the fall of four wickets. Mitchell Marsh was the first to depart, edging a delivery from Ravichandran Ashwin to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant for nine.
Alex Carey, after scoring 15, also fell to a faint edge behind the stumps, this time off Mohammed Siraj‘s bowling. Jasprit Bumrah later dismissed Cummins.
Head began his innings with his usual aggressive approach. He struck two sixes off Ashwin on his way to a 63-ball half-century.
Head continued his onslaught, reaching his second fifty off just 48 deliveries, completing his eighth Test century. He benefited from a dropped catch by Siraj when on 76.
Head’s innings finally ended at 140, bowled by Siraj. A brief exchange of words followed between the two players.
Australia resumed their innings on 86-1 after navigating a challenging two hours on day one, losing Usman Khawaja.
Three wickets fell in a dynamic first session. Two of these wickets were claimed by Bumrah, while Nitish Kumar Reddy took the other.
India’s early breakthrough came when Nathan McSweeney, after adding just one to his overnight score of 38, edged a Bumrah delivery to Pant.
This was the third consecutive time McSweeney fell victim to Bumrah, repeating the dismissal from his debut in Perth the previous week.
Bumrah and Pant combined again to remove Steve Smith for two, leaving the former Australian captain visibly disappointed.
Meanwhile, Labuschagne maintained his composure, striking consecutive boundaries off Harshit Rana, rediscovering his form after a period of struggle.
Labuschagne entered the match under pressure, facing calls for his exclusion from the team.
However, the resilient number three, resuming on 20, reached his 21st Test fifty off 114 balls.
After reaching his half-century, Labuschagne adopted a more free-flowing approach before a spectacular catch by Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully ended his innings, paving the way for Head’s dominance.