Whenever Travis Head faces India under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, he seems to take his game to another level. Whether it’s in the World Test Championship final, ODI World Cup final, or the ongoing IND vs AUS 2nd Test in Adelaide, Head has consistently troubled Indian bowlers.
His ability to score centuries has only added to India’s woes. But is this just a coincidence, or does Head find a particular vulnerability in Rohit’s captaincy.
Travis Head stats when batting against India under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy
Travis Head’s remarkable form continued in IND vs AUS Adelaide Test, where he scored an explosive 140 runs off just 141 balls. This was his eighth Test century, and his second against India. What stands out is his outstanding record against India when Rohit Sharma leads the team.
In 13 innings under Rohit’s captaincy, Head has amassed 853 runs at an average of 77.54, which includes three centuries and three half-centuries. His performances have often been the catalyst for Australia’s dominance over India in key moments.
Head’s stats when he bats against ‘Rohit Sharma-led India’
12, 43, 9, 49*, 32, 90, 51*, 33, 163, 18, 137, 76, 140
Head’s stats when Rohit Sharma is not leading the India team
In contrast, when Rohit is not captaining, Head fails to dominate Indian bowlers. In 25 innings across 20 matches without Rohit’s leadership, Head’s average drops to just 29.25, with only three half-centuries.
This difference in performance is too big to be just coincidental. It suggests that Head may be able to read Rohit’s field placements and strategies better, allowing him to find early boundaries and relieve the pressure.
Although Jasprit Bumrah was able to curtail his impact in the Adelaide Test, India will need to devise a better strategy in the upcoming matches to keep Head in check.
Head’s figures in matches without Rohit as India captain:
2, 26, 5, 39, 4, 29, 42, 9, 48*, 72, 14, 58, 19, 20, 34, 20, 7, 38, 17, 5, 35, 31, 28, 11, 89
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