Ashes 2025-26: Legendary ex-player explains what England could have done differently to counter Travis Head's Perth onslaught

Travis Head's blistering century in the fourth innings of the Perth Test rattled the England bowlers. The home side raced to a 205-run target inside 29 overs with eight wickets to spare. With this comprehensive win, Australia took a 1-0 lead in the five-match Ashes Test series.

On a spicy track, England would have fancied their chances after taking a 40-run first-innings lead. However, their abysmal performance in the second innings left the door ajar for the Aussies, and Steve Smith and Co. made their age-old rivals pay.

Head wasn't supposed to open the innings, but regular opener Usman Khawaja was sidelined midway through the Test match due to a back spasm, and the southpaw had to be promoted. The 31-year-old rose to the occasion, smashing 123 runs off just 83 balls in a knock that comprised 16 fours and four sixes. Head was eventually dismissed by Brydon Carse, but by then, the writing was already on the wall.

Legendary former England pacer Stuart Broad opined that the Three Lions should have tried to give singles to Head and bowl dot balls to Marnus Labuschagne at the other end. The left-right combination added a game-changing 117-run stand off just 92 balls for the second wicket.

“What they could have done when Travis Head was really going is get him off strike and not let him face four or five balls an over,” Broad said while speaking to Australian radio station SEN.

The cricketer-turned-commentator believes that by keeping Head off-strike, England could have forced the flamboyant batter to try something extravagant and that could have led to his downfall.

“Suddenly, you do that for forty minutes, and Travis Head gets bored of getting a single and tries something outrageous and might get out,” he added.

The second Test between Australia and England will get underway on December 4. This is going to be a pink-ball affair, which will be played at The Gabba in Brisbane.