Injured Travis Head flies to India in hopes of rescuing desperate Aussies at World Cup
Australia has received a boost in the quest to turn around its fortunes at the Cricket World Cup in India with Travis Head batting in the nets back home after a left-hand fracture last month.
Cricket Australia said the left-handed opener hopes to join the squad in India toward the end of the week.
“It’s coming along well, and probably better than we hoped,” Head told cricket.com.au on Sunday.
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“When we decided not to go with surgery, which would have meant a 10-week recovery, we were told it would be minimum six weeks with the splint before we could look at playing again.
"I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to bat when the splint came off but, apart from a fair bit of stiffness given I hadn’t been able to use it for the past four weeks, I was able to hit balls and play a fair range of shots.”
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Travis Head. Sarah Reed/Getty Images
Five-time champion Australia has lost its first two games — a six-wicket defeat against host India and a 134-run loss to South Africa – failing even to reach 200 in both matches. Australia scored 177 against South Africa, and was dismissed for 199 by India.
The 29-year-old Head suffered the injury during Australia’s tour of South Africa in the build-up to the World Cup and his absence has heavily impacted Australia's batting. Head's ODI average tops 41 and he has scored three centuries and 15 fifties in the one-day format.
Where are they now? Australia's victorious 2003 ODI World Cup squad 20 years on
Where are they now? Australia's victorious 2003 ODI World Cup squad 20 years on
Head could play as early as the Netherlands game on October 25 if his recovery continues to go well.
On Monday, Australia plays Sri Lanka, which will be without captain Dasun Shanaka after he was ruled out of the tournament with a thigh injury.
