Australia vs New Zealand: Travis Head becomes 5th Australia batter to score World Cup hundred on debut

Travis Head, on Saturday, October 28, became the fifth Australian batter to hit a hundred on World Cup debut. The southpaw accomplished the feat in the match against Tom Latham’s New Zealand at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.

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Back in 1983, Trevor Chappell became the first Aussie batter to reach the milestone after he hit 110 runs against India. Four years later in 1987, Geoff Marsh scored an unbeaten 110 against New Zealand. In 2003, Late Andrew Symonds showed his class by racking up 143 against Pakistan.

In 2015, Aaron Finch scored 135 against England at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. In the ongoing World Cup, apart from Head, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Abdullah Shafique also notched hundreds on debut.

Head started his campaign by hitting a 25-ball fifty, the fastest in the ongoing edition of the mega event. Thereafter, he upped the ante and got to the three-figure score off 59 balls. Head also put on 175 runs for the opening wicket with David Warner off 19.1 overs.

But Head’s joy did not last long as Glenn Phillips rattled his woodwork. The left-handed batter scored 109 runs off 67 balls with 10 fours and seven sixes. He got out with Australia’s score at 200 for two in 23.2 overs.

Head missed the first five matches for Australia due to a hand injury. He came in place of Cameron Green, who did not take part in the game due to a calf injury. Head opening the batting meant that Mitchell Marsh dropped down to No.3 in the batting lineup.