Travis Head’s 123 (83) helps Aus win Perth Test; Is this the best Ashes hundred in a chasing cause?

Travis Head’s blazing 123 off 83 balls seals Australia’s Perth Test win — is it the greatest Ashes hundred while chasing?

Travis Head volunteered to replace injured Usman Khawaja at the opening position during the fourth innings of the opening Ashes 2025-26 Test in Perth. Australia’s 205-run chase started in the third session of the second day, and to everyone’s disbelief, the hosts sealed victory in just 28.2 overs. Head had already gone back to the pavilion by then, after smashing a fine 123-run knock in 83 balls.

By the end of the morning session, England were in charge at effectively 100 for one. But as exciting as this Ben Stokes-led side can be, they are always only a blink of an eye away from activating the self-destruction mode. A couple of good deliveries and three errors in judgment from their top-order saw the visitors fall flat on their faces.

England still had 204 runs to defend in the fourth innings on a fast and bouncy surface. But perhaps, they were not prepared for their new Head-ache.

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Travis Head’s mind-boggling batting numbs England
One of the smartest acts from Travis Head in the knock was his first 20 deliveries, when he collected just one boundary and kept rotating the strike. But that was the point when he decided to change gears.

The left-handed batter shifted his weight on the back foot and ramped Brydon Carse over the slip cordon for a six. He effected another slash behind the wicket for the same result.

From the other end, Mark Wood delivered from a low position and didn’t get much bounce even in Perth. That let the batters settle on a fast and bouncy track. Head shuffled across and used Wood’s pace to hit another huge six to notch up his fifty in just 36 deliveries.

Stokes, fresh from his fifer on the first day, introduced himself into the attack. But Head didn’t show any mercy to the England captain and recorded four boundaries in the over.

Jofra Archer’s pace was down, and in no time, Head nailed him as if he were a spinner. Only two days and two innings into the series and with four Test matches to go, Archer looked drained. He had egg on his face when Head stood like a baseball batter and thrashed the Barbados-born straight as an arrow for a flat six.

Gus Atkinson’s mid-130 kmph speed was hit for another boundary by the South Australia batter. With a single, the 31-year-old celebrated the second-fastest century (in 69 balls) in Ashes history after Adam Gilchrist’s 57-ball century in 2006.

Head’s 123 came at a strike rate of nearly 150. It was only the fifth Test century of Australia in the fourth innings of an Ashes Test win, which shows the value of the knock.

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Australia batters with 4th innings hundreds in Ashes Tests’ victories

By the time Head departed, Australia had already reached close to the target. Stokes summed up the special knock of the Australia vice-captain. “I mean, at the moment, I’m still in a little bit of a wow phase, after what Travis has just done to us. That was a pretty incredible, special knock from Travis,” the Durham all-rounder spoke in the post-match presentation.

Travis Head… two years ago you plunged my country into silence. And today, you have done it again, in the best format of the game, in blistering fashion, with one of the great innings. Take a bow. England… that was special #Ashes #Cricket #AusvsEng #Head pic.twitter.com/uUDD4BOtTU

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) November 22, 2025

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Has Travis Head scored the best Ashes hundred in winning cause?
Reflecting on how the surface played with 19 wickets falling on the opening day and nine wickets in the second session of the second day, batting wasn’t a cakewalk. Some of the deliveries were jumping off the length, creating massive doubt among the batters. A few deliveries held on to the surface like the second innings dismissal of Zak Crawley.

In those circumstances, a 205-run chase was never easy. But to score more than 50 pc of those runs at a strike rate of 150 demonstrated the skill of Head.

Australia’s stand-in captain, Steve Smith said in post-match presentation, “It’s got to be right up there. Wow. That was incredible to witness. Trav took it on and played one of the great Ashes knocks.”

Heading into the second day-night Test at the Gabba, there will be calls for Travis Head to open permanently. In nine red-ball innings as an opener, the left-handed batter has collected 444 runs at a strike rate of 92.5 with two fifties and one century.

Moving into the second Test at Gabba in Brisbane from December 4, England would have various questions in mind. Can England find a way to dislodge Head from the middle? Their Bazball project has already been hit by a 1-0 deficit in the series.

Travis Head🔥🔥. #Ashes2025

England don’t look like they have the answers.

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) November 22, 2025

Captain’s dream. Opposition’s nightmare. Well played @travishead34 does it once again when his team needed it the most 👏👏 #Ashes2025 pic.twitter.com/pH3XfUEFto

— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) November 22, 2025

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