Australia’s in-form international Travis Head downplayed concerns over his fitness after appearing to be struggling with a potential groin problem during Wednesday’s rain-hit third Test against India at the Gabba.
Head said he expected everything to be fine in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
A five-match series with a 1-1 draw before the Boxing Day Test following the draw.
“I am very happy with the way I am batting at the moment. Just a little sore, but I’ll be fine (for the next match),” Head, who was named man of the match, said after the match.
The 30-year-old, who has been in brilliant form with 409 runs at an average of 81.80 in this series, clearly found it difficult to run between the wickets during his short 17 innings on day five.
He was sometimes seen holding his groin, which raised concerns among commentators.
Former opener Brett Lee called the visuals “concerning symptoms”, noting Head’s limited movement, while India great Ravi Shastri also expressed concern, describing the potential injury as a “body blow” for Australia given Head’s large role in batting lineup.
Head did not take the field during India’s second innings, fueling further speculation.
– Travis, he’ll be fine. It’s a bit of a tight quad. He’ll be fine in Melbourne,” assured his captain, Pat Cummins.
The left-hander further reflected on his approach in this series, attributing his success to adapting well to difficult conditions and maintaining composure at the crease.
“A challenging wicket. I had to work on my runs. I had other plans. I’m glad I managed to get through it. Good working relationship with (Steve) Smith,” he said.
“I’m just trying to summarize the conditions well. What I did well in this series was assess the conditions. I’m happy with the pace I was beating. Quite calm communication. I felt like he (Smith) was back in his groove and he gave me complete freedom and confidence knowing he would be there for a long time. I feel like I’m playing in the situation in front of me,” he added.
