Travis Head should anticipate a bouncer barrage when he returns to Australia’s ODI side this week, with pace bowlers expected to target the opener’s wounded hand throughout the remainder of the World Cup.
The 29-year-old fractured his left hand during last month’s white-ball tour of South Africa, missing the first half of Australia’s World Cup campaign in India.
However, the South Australian is tipped to return for Saturday’s blockbuster clash against New Zealand in Dharamshala, joining veteran opener David Warner at the top of the order.
Speaking to Fox Cricket this week, former Australian batter Mark Waugh brushed aside any conjecture on where Head should bat in the ODI team.
“If Travis Head plays, he’s got to open the innings,” Waugh said.
“Obviously it will to be tough to separate Warner and (Mitchell) Marsh at the top after their game against Pakistan, where they both batted beautifully.
“Hopefully Travis Head can get back into form as soon as possible, given he’s had a bit of a break. Five to six weeks off without playing, it’s never that easy to come back in and start slapping them off the middle.
“Hopefully he can slot back in and have the impact he’s had over the last 12 months.”
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During the recent Test tour of England, Head was targeted with short-pitched bowling throughout the World Test Championship final and Ashes campaign, with mixed results. The left-hander looked uncomfortable while facing a bumper barrage against India at The Oval, while he feasted on England’s bouncers at Headingley.
Waugh warned that Head should expect a similar reception over the coming weeks, predicting that fast bowlers would look to exploit Head’s recent injury.
“He won’t about (his injury) until he gets hit,” Waugh explained.
“He’ll probably have to be aware that opposition bowlers will bowl short at him. It’s one area where he can be exploited.
“Don’t expect full half-volleys if you’re Travis Head.
“When he does play England and New Zealand, they’ll look to bowl short at him and test that hand injury out.
“It’s not going to be easy for him, because it’s been hot over there as well, so match fitness is going to be important for batters as well. Batting for a long time at the crease is not going to be easy, so he’s going to have his challenges.
“Whatever he does, he does it quickly. He’ll either get out quickly or he’ll score quickly. He’s very dangerous at the top of the order. He can really set a platform that Australia can work off if he bats 15 overs.”
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Head’s imminent return will force a reshuffle in Australia’s batting line-up, with Marsh slotting back into the middle order and Marnus Labuschagne presumably dropping out of the starting XI.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Steve Smith confirmed he would slide down to the No. 4 position when Head returns, confessing he was “a bit shocked” to lose his preferred spot at first drop.
“It’s a different sort of mindset I think, when you come in at three to four,” Smith said.
“I got told if Trav was playing that I was going to be batting four.
“I’ll do whatever the team wants. I’ve got a pretty good record at three, so I was a bit shocked in a way, but I’ll do what I need to for the team.”
After starting his World Cup campaign in India with four low scores, Smith bounced back against the Netherlands on Wednesday, scoring an elegant 71 (68) in Delhi.
The New South Welshman averages 52.84 at No. 3 in ODIs, but that figure slips to 27.46 when he walks out at No. 4 or lower. Of his 12 ODI hundreds, eleven of them have come at first drop.
Meanwhile, Marcus Stoinis is expected to also return for the New Zealand match, having missed the Dutch clash with a “niggly calf.”
Australia will face the Black Caps at Dharamshala’s Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday, with the first ball scheduled for 4pm AEDT.