Cricket fans have been left divided on who should have won the player of the match award from the first Perth Test with Mitchell Starc winning the honours over Travis Head. Starc took 10 wickets across the match having recorded career-best figures of 7-58 in the first innings.
Starc stood up without his fellow quick Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood and led the way for the Aussies. Scott Boland also helped Starc with the duo taking four quick wickets after lunch on day two to turn the momentum of the Test match.
Cricket fans have been left divided over who should have won the player-of-the-match award from the first Perth Test with Mitchell Starc (pictured far left) winning the honours over centurion Travis Head (pictured right). (Images: Getty Images)
But others felt Head’s record-breaking century should have been recognised with the award. Head’s breathtaking batting saw Australia become the first Test team to chase down 200+ total at more than a run a ball.
Australia achieved it at a run rate of 7.23. And while all the talk about how England’s ‘BazBall’ would rattle the Aussies, it was Head who stole the show with the bat. The 31-year-old’s 69-ball century is quicker than any English batter in history.
His century was also the equal-sixth fastest for an Australian at Test level. Head finished on 123 with the second-highest score of 52 coming from Harry Brooks in the first innings.
Head also made the switch from No.5 to opener, which makes his century even more remarkable. But the official honours for the player of the match went to Starc who kept Australia in the contest in both innings. Without Starc, Australia could have been looking at a brutal run-chase batting last.
But others felt Head’s innings was the difference between the two teams. No one came close to a century throughout the Test match other than Australia’s flashy left-hander. But the official judges felt Starc’s efforts across both innings were worth the recognition.
Travis Head’s call changes Ashes dynamics
What made Head’s efforts for Australia even more incredible was his decision to open when Usman Khawaja was injured. Khawaja was dealing with a back injury throughout the Test match and was not able to take to the crease on day two.
And stand-in captain Steve Smith revealed Head put his name forward to open for Australia when they were tossing up candidates. “That was honestly one of the most incredible innings I’ve ever witnessed,” Smith said on TNT Sports.
“He was just unbelievable from ball one. We came in from the tea break and we were tossing up who we should open the batting with. And Head is like, ‘Oh, I think I should do it’. I said, ‘Go for your life, mate, have fun,'” Smith said.
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Smith later added: “We didn’t like how things functioned in the first innings with Marn(us Labsucahgne) going up top, and me batting three. So Trav took it on and played one of the great Ashes knocks.”
Head also acknowledged he wanted to take the first ball of the innings to allow debutant Jake Weatherald to settle in after being tormented by Jofra Archer in the first innings. “I was never letting him face the first over…I thought Weathers played beautifully today,” Head said after the match.
Mitchell Starc (pictured) won the player of the match award for taking 10 wickets in the Test match.