‘He will be challenging to face with the pink ball’ – Travis Head on the prospects of facing Stuart Broad in the Day-Night Adelaide Test

Left-handed batter Travis Head reckoned that Stuart Broad won’t be an easy bowler to face with the pink ball in the second Test between Australia and England at the Adelaide Oval. Back in the 2019 Ashes, Broad, also England’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, had tormented the Aussie batters, especially David Warner by bowling around the wicket.

Head became the Player of the Match in the Brisbane Test after he amassed 152 off 148 balls in Australia’s first innings. On the back of his knock, the Aussies garnered a humongous first innings lead and eventually went on to win the game by nine wickets.

Ahead of the Day-Night Test, starting Thursday, December 16, Head said that he’s worked hard on facing bowlers from around the wicket.

You do your homework on Broady, says Travis Head

“Not just on [facing] Broady, but generally batting [from] around the wicket – we looked at some stuff; personally, I’ve worked really hard on around the wicket, we got found out a bit in England, personally, and maybe as a team. Over the last six months, I’ve gone away and worked really hard at that, how I line the ball up and where I try to play it,” Head was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo.

“You do your homework on Broady – he’s a fantastic bowler, he’ll be challenging here with the pink ball, but you’ve got other blokes who are similar,” he stated.

“Haven’t played [against Anderson]… Broad was tough in the Ashes, he was fantastic against the left-handers and probably got the upper hand. The conditions here, we are used to them, and if we can put the bowlers out there for an extended period of time, [we can] put them under pressure,” Head added.

Broad didn’t play the first Test as the Three Lions preferred the pace trio of Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson. James Anderson didn’t play the first Test due to an issue with his calf. The Brits will go into the Adelaide Test after being 0-1 down. The Bellerive Oval in Hobart will also host a Day-Night Test in the series.