England set out to play a distinct brand of Test cricket. Travis Head has effectively embodied that style, his numbers increasingly astonishing as the game progressed. What initially started as a modest 16 runs from 20 balls had escalated into a brisk 26 from just 23 by the end of the second afternoon. As the frame of the match disintegrated, so too did the semblance of conventional Test cricket. It was only a matter of time before Head's century, achieved in an impressive 69 balls, stood as a testament to his prowess.
In stark contrast to Adam Gilchrist's record-breaking innings against Monty Panesar in the same city nearly two decades ago, Head did not face a weary attack on a sweltering day. Instead, he tore apart a seemingly formidable English pace battery on a cool second afternoon, with fresh bowlers who had hitherto sent down 45 overs in the match.
The stage was set for an unlikely debutant opener in Usman Khawaja to exploit England's selection debacle, and Head did not disappoint. After an initially cautious start, he unleashed his full arsenal of shots, leaving Ben Stokes and the English bowlers in his wake. The score at 106 would have broken the back of any team, but for Head, it was merely a springboard to greatness.
As he galloped around the crease with unbridled joy, batting from every angle and slotting short balls with ease, it became clear that this was no ordinary innings. For Head, who had celebrated an Ashes century in Brisbane four years ago, there was a sense of déjà vu about this performance.
This hundred will undoubtedly go down as another entry on his ever-growing list of personal achievements, alongside the likes of the World Test Championship final and the World Cup final. The English team's crushing defeat will only serve to add to their already extensive portfolio of Ashes humiliations in Australia.
Perhaps most galling for England is that they spent years touting a vision of cultivating 11 players who would approach the game in a certain way, only to be comprehensively outperformed by the very player on the opposing team who adopted that same style.
In stark contrast to Adam Gilchrist's record-breaking innings against Monty Panesar in the same city nearly two decades ago, Head did not face a weary attack on a sweltering day. Instead, he tore apart a seemingly formidable English pace battery on a cool second afternoon, with fresh bowlers who had hitherto sent down 45 overs in the match.
The stage was set for an unlikely debutant opener in Usman Khawaja to exploit England's selection debacle, and Head did not disappoint. After an initially cautious start, he unleashed his full arsenal of shots, leaving Ben Stokes and the English bowlers in his wake. The score at 106 would have broken the back of any team, but for Head, it was merely a springboard to greatness.
As he galloped around the crease with unbridled joy, batting from every angle and slotting short balls with ease, it became clear that this was no ordinary innings. For Head, who had celebrated an Ashes century in Brisbane four years ago, there was a sense of déjà vu about this performance.
This hundred will undoubtedly go down as another entry on his ever-growing list of personal achievements, alongside the likes of the World Test Championship final and the World Cup final. The English team's crushing defeat will only serve to add to their already extensive portfolio of Ashes humiliations in Australia.
Perhaps most galling for England is that they spent years touting a vision of cultivating 11 players who would approach the game in a certain way, only to be comprehensively outperformed by the very player on the opposing team who adopted that same style.
and usman khawaja is gonna come in and finish off the game, nice one australian cricket 
i mean ben stokes and co should just admit that the aussies have got it right for once 
head's performance was absolutely brutal! i mean 69 balls for a century is just insane 
and he totally tore apart their bowlers with his shots 
the fact that they spent years trying to create a certain style and it ended up being replicated by head who's not even one of them is just crazy 
- think they should tone it down a notch and just focus on getting the best out of their players 
that's insane! they spent years tryin to create this new era of cricket and then head comes along and crushes 'em with ease. it's like they're playin against themselves or somethin'. 
. I'm loving every minute of this Ashes series so far! Australia is on fire 
but hey at least they've got a good story to tell now about how Travis Head took them down 
I mean, 69 balls for his century? That's insane! And to think they thought they could take him down with their supposedly fresh pace battery... 
. I don't get why England's all upset about this, it's just cricket, right?
. They're trying to create this new image of playing distinct and attacking cricket, but it seems like they're still figuring it out 
. Travis Head absolutely dominated them with his incredible batting skills 
. Meanwhile, Usman Khawaja is now the one in contention to capitalize on England's selection errors 
. This just proves that Australia has a strong team with talented players like Head and Khawaja 
. The Aussies are loving this win, and who can blame them?