[Watch] When Travis Head was run out for 37 off 56 against Unmukt Chand's India in 2012 Under-19 World Cup final
Australia batter Travis Head has been batting like a phenom in the last couple of years. The southpaw has broken down almost any bowling wall ahead of him with all his might, scoring runs for fun.
Head has been a consistent performer for Australia since the 2021 Ashes and has regularly featured across all three formats. He bats in the middle order in the longest format of the game, while opening the batting in both ODIs and T20Is.
But facing the new ball hasn't always come naturally to Head, who had previously been a middle-order batter. 12 years ago, in the 2012 Men's Under-19 World Cup final against India, Head walked out to bat at No. 6 with the score reading 38 for four. Alongside skipper William Bosisto, he stitched together a 65-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
However, a bid to steal a quick run brought about Head's dismissal. He took off from the non-striker's end, but India's Harmeet Singh threw the ball from point to Baba Aparajith, who caught Head well short of his crease.
Take a look at the dismissal below (from 2:15):
Head scored 37 runs in 56 balls, with Australia eventually finishing on 225 for eight after 50 overs. India made light work of the chase as skipper Unmukt Chand scored 111 off 130 deliveries, helping India secure its third Under-19 World Cup.
Since that final, the trajectories of Travis Head and Unmukt Chand have been completely different. Chand, who was touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket, never made his national debut and has shifted bases, now playing in the USA. Travis Head, on the other hand, has grown into becoming a batting mainstay for the Aussies.
Travis Head scored 140 in 141 balls against India in BGT 2024-25 2nd Test
Travis Head scored a stroke-filled 140 runs in 141 balls as he helped Australia score 337 runs in the second Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The hosts took a healthy lead of 157 runs after bowling out India for 180 in their first innings. Rohit Sharma's boys were bundled out for 175 in their second essay and Australia chased down the 19-run target with 10 wickets remaining.
This was one of Travis Head's many memorable performances against India. Last year, Head scored 137 runs in 120 balls whilst taking the crucial catch of Rohit Sharma in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. He was awarded the Player of the Match in the WTC final earlier that year too for smashing a breathtaking 163 off 174 deliveries.