Travis Head has laid down a marker ahead of the Ashes, proving he has the game to work in England with a blazing century to help Australia to 3-327 on day one of the World Test Championship final against India.
On a dominant first day for Australia to open their tour, Head finished unbeaten on 146 while Steve Smith walked off beside him 95 not out at The Oval on Wednesday.
David Warner also did enough to ensure he will play in next week’s first Ashes Test with a fighting 43, before being caught down legside when a big score beckoned.
But it will be Head and Smith that will have commanded the most attention from England’s players on their golf trip in Scotland.
Australia’s own version of England’s ‘Bazball’ phenomenon, Head again scored at a rapid rate with another counter-attacking hundred after arriving at 3-76.
Dropped for the last Test of the the 2019 Ashes where he averaged 27.28, Head’s first overseas Test century showed he is a different batsman now.
He flamboyantly flicked the ball off his pads at will, and upper-cut Mohammed Shami to and then over the third-man boundary off back-to-back balls.
When India adopted a barrage of short balls after tea it briefly slowed him down, but while he took a glancing blow to the helmet he brought up his century hooking Shami.
The 29-year-old then took to Shardul Thakur late in the day with a swashbuckling cover drive and another uppercut among his 22 boundaries.
“Technically I’ve made those changes, not just for England, but all around,” Head said.
“There is certain parts of your game that you adapt to each conditions you go to. That’s the same going anywhere.
“But the foundations I have set with my technique have definitely changed a lot since 2019. I felt like coming here I was in a better place.”
Head hit two centuries in the 2021-22 home Ashes, but the only thing that could offer England more nightmares than him firing would be a merciless Smith.
In his first Test in England since his Bradman-esque 2019 Ashes, Smith looked just as determined in his 227 balls on Wednesday.
Australia’s vice-captain patiently left outside his off stump, and worked balls off his toes to the square-leg and mid-on boundaries as regularly as he did against England four years ago.
Between them, the pair put on an unbeaten 251-run stand, giving Australia the clear advantage after they were sent in by India.
The under-pressure Warner, meanwhile, would have been frustrated with what could have been.
He survived difficult opening spell from Shami, who mimicked Stuart Broad’s tactics from 2019 and came around the wicket at the left-hander.
And after he watched Usman Khawaja perish for a duck to Mohammed Siraj and fought through a tricky period with a moving Dukes ball in gloomy conditions, Warner briefly looked ready to shine.
He pulled Shami for four when the Indian quick briefly went over the wicket to him for three balls, and took 16 off one Umesh Yadav over as he played with freedom outside off.
But as a big score that would have helped his plans to retire from Test cricket at the SCG in January loomed, Warner gloved a rank short ball down legside from Thakur and was out just before lunch.
Marnus Labuschagne followed soon after when bowled for 26 by Shami, after copping a painful morning blow to the thumb off Siraj.
But from there Head and Smith took charge, in an ominous sign for not only India but for England and the summer ahead.
