'He’ll find a spot' - Adam Gilchrist identifies David Warner's future opening partner

Australian batter Travis Head continued his impressive form with an unbeaten 70-run knock against Sri Lanka in the third ODI match at Colombo. He was the highest run-scorer for Australia as the visitors posted 291 runs which they failed to defend with Pathum Nissanka scoring 137 runs for the hosts.

Head played at the number four position in the second match where he scored 23 runs but was demoted to the sixth for the previous match due to the return of Mitchell Marsh from injury. He has been excellent for Australia in 2022 while opening the innings and former ace cricketer Adam Gilchrist also predicts the opening role for Head in near future.

“I think longer-term, down the track, probably in the next 12 months or so, Travis Head will find a spot at the top of the order. I think he’ll end up opening regularly in the one-day setup and I think that’s where he’ll be able to provide most impact with the team. He can get off to a flying start, he can go at as good a clip as anyone but he’s also got a game where he can lay a foundation for the team,” Gilchrist told SEN WA Breakfast.

Notably, the 28-year-old batter was not part of the traveling squad for the Sri Lanka tour but was included after the first match in place of injured Marcus Stoinis. Head scored 149 runs, including a century while opening, in two matches playing for Australia A against Sri Lanka A. He also dominated the Ashes at home where he won the Player of the Series award for being the highest run-scorer. Head also impressed on the Pakistan tour earlier this year where he scored a century and a fifty as an opener in the ODI series.

I see Travis Head definitely at the top of the order: Adam Gilchrist

Head has to settle for the middle-order position with David Warner returning to international scenes to partner white-ball skipper Aaron Finch. Both Warner and Finch are world-class openers but both are over 35 and Australian cricket will be looking for new faces as their replacement. India host the ODI World Cup next year and both players are most likely to be in contention to open the innings ahead of Head. However, Gilchrist believes that Finch will retire after the ODI World Cup and identified Head as a long-term opening batsman in the ODI format.

“(Aaron) Finchy will get through to this T20 World Cup, I think Aaron aspires to get to the next 50-over World Cup which I think is in the sub-continent next year, but it wouldn’t be that long after that that Finch would retire if he got that far. So I see Travis Head definitely at the top of the order down the track,” Gilchrist concluded.