Head wants Australia focussed as WTC campaign resumes

Australia's focus will once again shift back to their World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign against Bangladesh at Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin on 13 August, with opening batter Travis Head urging his side to temper expectations as they begin their push towards a second World Test Championship mace.

Australia are presently atop the WTC standings with a point percentage of 87.5.

 Australia will enter the two-Test series as favourites, given the home advantage and Bangladesh's poor start to the tour, with the side losing to Cricket Australia XI by an innings and 38 runs after being bowled out for 54 in a warm-up.

But Head, who was one of the architects of Australia's Ashes success, remained grounded ahead of the opening Test.

“There's going to be a lot of scrutiny around what goes on - it's a Test match and we're playing for World Test Championship points,” Head told Cricket.com.au.

“Sometimes playing the better countries, you sit there with expectation. You go into a Test going, 'I just hope I get through it'.

“Then you may come up against a team like Bangladesh, with the week they've had and the expectation of, 'I really expect myself to get runs', and that's sometimes the hardest place to be, when you go out there expecting to (make runs).

“Because the game is a brutal game. So I think it's just about tempering expectations over the next little period (and) through these two Tests.”

Head is set to resume duties atop the order for Australia alongside Jake Weatherald, who will have an added incentive during the series opener, with the 31-year-old, born and raised in Darwin, set to play his first-ever home Test.

It is set to be a memorable homecoming for the left-hand batter, but one that also finds him focused on helping Australia in their World Test Championship campaign.

“Coming up and representing your country is obviously quite a proud moment.

“To be in front of Territorians and knowing the journey I've gone through to be here is pretty cool.

"I probably cop more grief if I don't do well up here.”

Jake Weatherald and Travis Head, Australia's opening pair in action earlier this year during the Ashes. // Getty Images

The Bangladesh series represents a fresh opportunity for the left-hand opener after his introduction to international cricket during last summer's Ashes.

He featured in all five Tests of Australia's 4-1 series victory over England, finishing with 201 runs at 22.33 from 10 innings.

The opener acknowledged that there is room for improvement as he has spent the intervening period working on his game, including a productive County Championship stint with Leicestershire, where he made 483 runs from six games at a superb average of 60.37 and refined his approach that has given him success over the years.

“There's been a few tinkerings, hopefully someone sees it.

“It feels like I'm completely different (in how he is setting up), but everyone says I'm still pretty similar, which is sort of what I wanted a little bit. I didn't want to change anything dramatically.

“I tried to understand what I was really good at and what I do well in first-class cricket and what I could improve on and I did well in the Ashes and what I could slightly adjust to make a better game plan overall.

“I think I've done that, so I'm pretty pumped to go out and show it.”

Series Schedule:

First Test: August 13-17, Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin

Second Test: August 22-26, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay

Squad:

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Bangladesh squad (first Test): Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Musfik Hasan