Head’s stunning century took center stage during Australia’s comeback against India on the opening day of the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval. Despite losing the toss, Australia ended the day in a commanding position at 327-3, with Head unbeaten on 146 and Steve Smith on 95.

Smith’s boundary off the final ball of the day brought up the pair’s 250-run partnership, showcasing their resilience. When the fourth-wicket duo came together, Australia was struggling at 76-3 after being asked to bat in challenging bowling conditions. However, as the sun emerged from behind the clouds in south London, the runs began to flow.

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Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting drew comparisons between Travis Head and Adam Gilchrist, stating that he saw shades of Gilchrist in Head’s aggressive approach. In fact, Head holds the highest strike rate of 81.91 in the WTC 2021-23. Comparatively, Gilchrist maintained a strike rate of 81.95 throughout his Test career.

“He probably is (similar to Gilchrist),” Ricky Ponting said, as quoted by ICC. “In fact, he is probably scoring quicker now than Gilly ever did. His strike rate through this World Test Championship qualification period is 81, which is higher than anyone else in the world to have scored more than 500 runs.”

Ponting commended Head’s growing confidence, increasing strike rate, ability to score boundaries early in his innings, and his remarkable performances over the past two years. Head showcased his attacking intent right from the start, with 24 of his first 27 runs coming through boundaries. Ponting suggested that the Indian pacers made a mistake with their length against Head, advising them to be patient and restrict his scoring opportunities.

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“I think when he first comes in, you need to execute perfectly against him,” Ricky Ponting emphasized. “It is not good to over-attack him because if you bowl a bad ball, he will punish it. They will learn from the way they bowled to him in the first innings, and they will certainly make adjustments in the second innings, but sometimes it’s too late.”