"We have come here to win the Ashes" - Travis Head on Australia looking to right the wrong from the 2019 Ashes series
Australian batter Travis Head conceded that his side was probably lucky to escape with a draw in the fourth Test but maintained that the goal is to win the Ashes in the final game at the Oval.
Although the Aussies were dominated throughout the game, they retained the Ashes after rain played spoilsport in the final two days at Manchester. England secured a 275-run lead in the first innings and were still 61 runs ahead with only five Aussie wickets remaining when play was washed out on the final day.
Pat Cummins and Co. were leading 2-1 after the first three games, which helped them retain the Ashes for a third consecutive time with the draw in the fourth Test.
Speaking to the media, Travis Head admitted that the Aussies were perhaps fortunate in the previous game but remained adamant that the side wanted to win the series outright.
"The feeling around it was yes, we have got away with one, but ultimately we have come here to win the Ashes and we have gone a huge way to doing that," Head said. "We played really nice for three Test matches, maybe not played the best week last week, but if we can shut that out and think about what we did well for the first three Test matches, it will put us in good stead for this week."
Head also stressed the importance of the final Test and how the Aussies would be looking to go a step further than in the 2019 series.
"This week is very important and I think there are a lot of similarities with 2019," Travis Head added. "Coming here with the opportunity and a lot of different feelings with how the weeks panned out in 2019 and then this week, but I also think off the back of that, it probably showed us how much it meant and how much winning the Ashes would actually really mean instead of retaining them."
Travis Head further mentioned that retaining the 2019 Ashes in England was such a massive accomplishment that the team did not bring their A-game to the Oval Test.
"No one had done it for such a long period of time until 2019 and the high of retaining them, achieving that was huge and great, but then we didn't have our best week that year," he added. "So, I think when we reflect from that and moving forward with the group being pretty similar, the ambition is to come here and win them so we have got that chance."
Australia entered the final Test in the 2019 Ashes fresh off a spectacular victory in the fourth Test that helped them retain the Ashes.
However, the hangover from the celebrations of retaining the urn meant that the visitors did not put their best foot forward and suffered a 13-run defeat.
"Would love to win a Test match to retain them" - Travis Head
Travis Head felt mixed emotions within the squad after the Aussies retained the Ashes with a draw in the Manchester Test after they were dominated for much of the game.
While retaining the Ashes was the primary goal for the visitors coming into the series, the 29-year-old believes that doing it with a win would have felt extra special.
"It is mixed emotions because you would love to win a Test match to retain them and hopefully this week we can win a Test match to do it. A draw is a different feeling, no matter what the situation, but there was no real massive elation because we could see the situation coming," Travis Head stated.
However, Head added that the group had a quiet moment to celebrate the achievement before shifting their focus to the final Test match.
"It was a really relaxed group, we had a quiet beer and a chat about where we need to go and what we can achieve this week, so our heads moved pretty quickly onto this week," Head concluded.
Travis Head has been among the star performers for Australia in the series despite the twin failures in the fourth Test, scoring 315 runs at an average of 39.37.
Australia will look to win their first Test series in England since 2001 in the final Test at the Oval, starting from Thursday, July 27.