Australia batter Travis Head was not picked in the starting XI for the first Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India in Nagpur. But with David Warner back home due to an elbow fracture, Head will open the innings alongside Usman Khawaja in Indore.
Speaking to the reporters in Delhi before next week’s third Test, Head revealed ‘robust’ conversations he had with selectors after being dropped from the Nagpur Test.
“It was something that I didn’t expect coming here,” the southpaw said in a media interaction here on not making the playing XI in Nagpur.
“The conversations were robust. Everyone has different opinions. I respect the coaching staff and selectors and I have a really strong relationship with them. I think that’s what made the conversations the way they went, because there’s respect that goes both ways and we were able to voice our opinions.
“And I woke up the next morning and I’m still on tour playing for Australia, I still get to do what I love to do. I’d love to be competing and playing but there’s another way I can support the guys the best I could and prepare the best way I could for another opportunity. I still feel like I’m in a great space. It’s just one week that didn’t go my way.”
In the Delhi Test, Head’s second innings (43 off 46) was laced with some attacking shots that, for a moment, put Indian spinners on the back foot. They were forced to regroup ahead of the third day’s play, but Head’s thin edge outside off against Ravichandran Ashwin started a drastic collapse to push Australia 2-0 down in the four-match Test series.
