Travis Head's World Cup Century: A Testament to Natural Talent

As they say, "practice makes perfect," but Travis Head isn't exactly one of those people.

After recovering from a broken wrist to play in his first World Cup match on Saturday in Dharamsala, the Australian struck 109 against New Zealand off just 67 balls, and he won handily.

Head looked totally focused during his innings, but it's crucial to remember that he hasn't been able to practice much since his September injury. And Head admits that he doesn't look all that great even when he bats at the nets.

"After that, I simply enjoyed entering the competition and thought that would always occur once I started playing."

Michael di Venuto, Australia's batting coach, praised Head's innate talent for performing well on stage.

"In the nets, you don't score runs do you? There's no competition, no rush of adrenaline in the nets. Thus, for individuals such as Trav, he finds his thrills in the midst," cricket.com.au cited Di Venuto as saying.

"We are aware that he doesn't require a lot of preparation before games. The way he approaches it is quite natural. All that needs to be done is confirm that his hand was correct. His last game was really close.

The extended wait

Travis Head during a training session ahead of the match at Dharamsala.

The 175-run opening partnership between Head and David Warner on Saturday demonstrated the formidable threat that the Australian opening duo presents to opponents. What's even better for Australia is that Head is driven to establish himself as the leader of the pack.

Head debuted in the One-Day International format in 2016, but he hasn't held the top spot since Aaron Finch's retirement.

"I think that was a spot that was definitely anticipated, especially since Finch played for such a long time and their relationship was so strong."

I was able to seize the little opportunity I had and essentially waited a few years for that position to become available.

That's never guaranteed, so I have to perform. Fortunately, I can put together a run of a few shows that should help establish that as a location where Dave and I clearly have a great working relationship.

The opening was "scratchy in a 20-minute, match-eve tune-up on a tired Dharamsala practice wicket," according to a report in cricket.com.au. During a longer session in Delhi earlier in the week, he did not appear significantly better.

Head was a different animal, though, once he padded up for the game against the Black Caps. Even up against a potent New Zealand attack, the left-hander was comfortable. Matt Henry took them for sixes after two early no-ball free hits that helped him settle into the groove.

Was he taken aback by how quickly he settled in? Head remarked, "Probably a little bit, after the way I batted over the last little week."

"The free hits were very beneficial. It was good to get a few out of the middle at the beginning after only a few hits in the nets at full tilt, considering that the training wickets differ greatly from the middle.

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