December 24, 2024: Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has played down concerns over Travis Head’s fitness ahead of the fourth Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which will take place on December 26 as part of the Boxing Day Test. McDonald confirmed that while Head had a minor quad strain during the third Test in Brisbane, the explosive left-handed batter is expected to be fit and available for selection for the crucial match.
Head, who is currently the leading run-scorer in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with 409 runs in five innings at an average of 81.80, including two centuries and a fifty, did not take part in Monday’s practice session but had a brief workout on Tuesday, which involved running and fielding.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, McDonald stated:
“Has he got some things to work through? Yeah, he has. There is no concern at the moment. Has he been officially ticked off? I am not sure. I did not see the sort of back-end of his training session there, but I am pretty confident he will play.” McDonald added that Head’s batting skills remain in good shape: “I think he looked good with the bat in hand, so obviously skills are in good order. It will just be about the risk associated with that minor quad strain. But no concerns from my end.”
The coach also emphasized that Head has been running freely, which suggests that his fitness is improving and he will be ready for action. “He’s been able to be running, yeah, so I think he will be fully functional come the game time,” McDonald concluded.
McDonald also addressed Head’s discussions during the nets with the Australian physio, Nick Jones. “Clearly coming off a strain, he has got that, obviously the demands of bat-pad. So that is all that was about. My question to Nick Jones was just around what he has got to do to finish off the session, so I was across it beforehand, or just making sure nothing had changed during the session.”
Travis Head has been one of Australia’s key players against India. In 13 Tests against India, he has scored 1,124 runs at an average of 51.09, including three centuries and a best score of 163. Since the World Test Championship final last year, Head has been in excellent form against India, amassing 897 runs in 12 innings at an average of 74.75, including four centuries and two fifties.
With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series currently tied at 1-1, the fourth Test at the MCG is set to be a crucial contest. McDonald’s confidence in Head’s fitness will be a relief to Australian fans, as his aggressive batting has been integral to the team’s success.
