Australia’s Travis Head delivered a nightmare performance for England’s bowlers in the first Ashes Test at Perth, leaving the visiting side shell-shocked. The left-handed opener smashed a scintillating century, scoring 123 runs off just 83 balls in the second innings, guiding Australia to a commanding victory within a mere two days.
The intensity of Head’s innings was such that England’s pacer Mark Wood admitted to entertaining a rather extreme idea: driving from Perth to Brisbane, a journey spanning over 4,300 kilometres, just to clear his head and cope with the psychological blow.
Wood, who conceded 23 runs in three overs during Australia’s chase of 205, reflected on the crushing defeat in a recent episode of Stuart Broad’s ‘The Love of Cricket’ podcast. “This loss hurts, and it should. We need a few days to digest it because our focus is on the series as a whole, not just one match,” he said.
He continued: “We’re stuck here; we can’t just hop in a car and drive to Brisbane. But if it were possible, maybe I would have. Just to keep myself occupied and take the edge off.”
Reality Check
While the thought was understandable in the heat of the moment, it was utterly unrealistic. According to Google Maps, driving directly from Perth Stadium to The Gabba in Brisbane requires approximately 46 hours of continuous driving. Factoring in necessary rest stops, a realistic journey would take around four full days—an impossible feat for a professional cricketer scheduled to play the second Test on 4 December.
| Journey Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Distance | 4,308 km |
| Non-stop drive | 46 hours |
| Realistic driving time with breaks | ~4 days |
| Start | Perth Stadium |
| Destination | The Gabba, Brisbane |
As a result, Wood’s musings remained purely hypothetical, a window into the mental pressure the English bowlers faced against Head’s relentless strike rate of over seven runs per over.
Acknowledging Head’s Brilliance
Despite the frustration, Wood was quick to praise Head’s masterclass. “Whatever we did wasn’t working; he was hitting everything. We all know he’s a talented player, but this was something else entirely,” he admitted.
He added: “It felt like 30 overs went by in ten minutes—the game was running in fast-forward mode.”
Australia, buoyed by Head’s performance, now look in formidable shape for the second Test, while England will have to regroup mentally and tactically to counter the left-hander’s destructive form.