Melbourne, Dec. 28 – Travis Head has urged his opening partner, Jake Weatherald, to keep fighting after a rocky start to his Test career.
Weatherald made his debut in the Ashes opener following a impressive run in the Sheffield Shield. In the eight innings he’s played, he’s managed just 146 runs, with his only significant score being a half‑century in the opening match. The 31‑year‑old is still slated to remain in the squad for the final Test at the SCG.
The future of Weatherald’s Test career is under question given his series of low scores, but Head believes he still has plenty to offer. He noted that wickets across Australia have been challenging for a few years now and that this shouldn’t be used as an excuse. “International cricket is extremely tough. The wickets have been challenging across the board the last few years, that’s well‑documented. It’s not an excuse and I think he’s a good enough cricketer for international cricket and I think he showed a lot of glimpses over his first four Tests,” Head said.
He added that a good opener often struggles but that Weatherald has the potential to be one of the best batsmen of his generation: “It’s not always gonna go your way and there’s a lot of guys who look like they have been under the pump with the bat who are the best of our generation.”
Head also reflected on his own role as opener in the Ashes, which began a few games ago after he moved up from number five. He’s already scored two centuries in the series and is the top run‑scorer so far. “I see myself as this team’s opening batter for the series and then we’ve got a long gap between to piece the puzzles together for where the team wants to go,” he said. “I’ve felt good at the top, I feel like I’ve been batting well. For this series, I feel like I’ve been able to do a job for the team and it’s put us in good positions.”
He expressed his willingness to stay at the top of the order for the upcoming match: “It’s been pleasing to be able to contribute in different ways and that’s why I’ve always been open to how can I make the team better? If that means me at the top and we’re a better cricket team and we’re winning more, then I’m happy.”
“There will be challenging times, but at the moment I feel like I’m moving really well, which is putting me in good positions against the new ball,” he concluded.
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