 "IND vs AUS 2nd Test: Travis Head hails Jasprit Bumrah as an all-time great")
Australian batter Travis Head heaped praise on Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, calling him "one of the greatest fast bowlers to play the game." Head expressed his admiration for Bumrah after the latter's stunning performance in the opening Test in Perth, which India won by a resounding 295 runs.
"Jasprit will go down as probably one of the greatest fast bowlers to play the game. It’s nice to play against someone as challenging as him," Head said. "It’ll be great to tell my grandkids that I faced him. Hopefully, I’ll face him a few more times, but he’s definitely been a tough competitor."
Bumrah's stellar performance leads India to victory
Captaining the Indian side, Bumrah showcased his exceptional form with a match haul of 8/72, leading India to a dominant win. His consistent brilliance this year has been noteworthy, including being named Player-of-the-Series in the T20 World Cup, where he played a pivotal role in India’s triumph. Head vs Bumrah in Test cricket
| Travis Head vs Jasprit Bumrah in Test cricket history | ||||||||
| Year | Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | SR | Avg |
| 2018 | 28 | 99 | 1 | 81 | 1 | 0 | 28.3 | 28 |
| 2019 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 125 | - |
| 2020 | 17 | 23 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 73.9 | 17 |
| 2024 | 17 | 33 | 1 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 51.5 | 17 |
| Total | 67 | 159 | 3 | 122 | 5 | 0 | 42.1 | 22.3 |
No tips from Head for teammates
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Despite being the only Australian batter to notch a fifty in Perth, Head playfully dismissed the idea of his teammates seeking advice on countering Bumrah.
"They are not coming to me for batting tips, that's for sure," Head quipped. "Everyone has their own approach, and we'll discuss things in the next few days. Bumrah is so unique, and every batter picks up different cues against bowlers."
Adelaide awaits: Pink-ball Test in focus
The teams will now face off in a pink-ball Test in Adelaide, the same venue where India was infamously bowled out for 36 in 2020. Reflecting on that match, Head recalled, "It was a quick Test, but enjoyable afterwards. Hopefully, we can have a similar result this time."
Both teams are gearing up for the unique challenge of the pink ball. While India recently played a pink-ball game against the Prime Minister’s XI, Australia’s last encounter with it was in January.
"Everyone is experienced enough at this level to adapt quickly," Head remarked, downplaying any significant advantage for either side.
| Travis Head stats in different countries (Tests) | ||||||||||||||
| Country | Span | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 0s | 4s | 6s |
| In Australia | 2018-2024 | 28 | 42 | 2 | 2022 | 175 | 50.55 | 3023 | 66.88 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 226 | 13 |
| In England | 2019-2023 | 10 | 20 | 1 | 734 | 163 | 38.63 | 1101 | 66.66 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 106 | 7 |
| In India | 2023-2023 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 235 | 90 | 47 | 342 | 68.71 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 5 |
| In New Zealand | 2024-2024 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 69 | 29 | 17.25 | 104 | 66.34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| In Pakistan | 2022-2022 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 68 | 26 | 22.66 | 132 | 51.51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| In Sri Lanka | 2022-2022 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 12 | 7.66 | 56 | 41.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| In U.A.E. | 2018-2018 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 122 | 72 | 30.5 | 259 | 47.1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
No divide in the Australian camp
Head dismissed suggestions of a rift within the Australian team following comments by Josh Hazlewood during the first Test.
"We hold high expectations for both batting and bowling units. As a batting group, we take pride in setting things up for the bowlers. There’s definitely no divide," he asserted.
Australians resilient despite setbacks
Head backed his side to rebound from their struggles in Perth, pointing to their history of resilience in challenging situations.
"This team has dealt with adversity well over the last few years. We’ve had some tough Tests, but we’ve bounced back every time," he said. "We didn’t have a great week, but we have four more opportunities to turn things around, and I’m confident we will."
As the two teams prepare for the next clash, the spotlight remains on Bumrah’s brilliance and Australia’s resolve to fight back in the series.
| Jasprit Bumrah Test career analysis ( vs Teams and in country) | |||||||||||||
| Team | Span | Mat | Inns | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Avg | Econ | SR | 5w |
| vs Australia | 2018-2024 | 8 | 16 | 304.5 | 84 | 752 | 40 | 6/33 | 9/86 | 18.8 | 2.46 | 45.7 | 2 |
| vs Bangladesh | 2024-2024 | 2 | 4 | 49 | 15 | 141 | 11 | 4/50 | 6/67 | 12.81 | 2.87 | 26.7 | 0 |
| vs England | 2018-2024 | 14 | 26 | 472.1 | 105 | 1330 | 60 | 6/45 | 9/91 | 22.16 | 2.81 | 47.2 | 3 |
| vs New Zealand | 2020-2024 | 5 | 10 | 139.2 | 34 | 409 | 9 | 3/62 | 5/101 | 45.44 | 2.93 | 92.8 | 0 |
| vs South Africa | 2018-2024 | 8 | 15 | 265.3 | 48 | 789 | 38 | 6/61 | 8/86 | 20.76 | 2.97 | 41.9 | 3 |
| vs Sri Lanka | 2022-2022 | 2 | 4 | 37 | 12 | 90 | 10 | 5/24 | 8/47 | 9 | 2.43 | 22.2 | 1 |
| vs West Indies | 2019-2019 | 2 | 4 | 49.1 | 15 | 120 | 13 | 6/27 | 7/58 | 9.23 | 2.44 | 22.6 | 2 |
| In Country | Span | Mat | Inns | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Avg | Econ | SR | 5w |
| In Australia | 2018-2024 | 8 | 16 | 304.5 | 84 | 752 | 40 | 6/33 | 9/86 | 18.8 | 2.46 | 45.7 | 2 |
| In England | 2018-2022 | 9 | 17 | 357 | 86 | 972 | 37 | 5/64 | 9/110 | 26.27 | 2.72 | 57.8 | 2 |
| In India | 2021-2024 | 12 | 23 | 278.5 | 68 | 808 | 47 | 6/45 | 9/91 | 17.19 | 2.89 | 35.5 | 2 |
| In New Zealand | 2020-2020 | 2 | 4 | 61.4 | 12 | 190 | 6 | 3/62 | 5/101 | 31.66 | 3.08 | 61.6 | 0 |
| In South Africa | 2018-2024 | 8 | 15 | 265.3 | 48 | 789 | 38 | 6/61 | 8/86 | 20.76 | 2.97 | 41.9 | 3 |
| In West Indies | 2019-2019 | 2 | 4 | 49.1 | 15 | 120 | 13 | 6/27 | 7/58 | 9.23 | 2.44 | 22.6 | 2 |