Travis Head may not have made a major impact with the bat on Day 1 of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s, but he still etched his name in the record books with a significant milestone. Scoring just 11 off 13 balls in testing conditions against a relentless South African pace attack, Head quietly surpassed Indian captain Rohit Sharma to become the batter with the second-most runs in ICC finals—a feat that speaks volumes about his big-match temperament.
The Big Match Player
Before the start of the WTC final, Head had accumulated 318 runs in ICC finals. He needed just five more to leapfrog Rohit Sharma’s tally of 322. And despite the briefness of his stay at the crease, Head crossed the mark, moving to 329 runs from just four innings in ICC tournament finals.
Virat Kohli At Top
That’s not just consistency—it’s domination, pure and simple. Only Virat Kohli stands above him now, with 411 runs from 11 innings, but Head’s conversion rate puts him in a league of his own.
His record in finals is already legendary. It all began with a match-winning century against India in the 2023 WTC final, a counter-attacking gem that rescued Australia from early trouble and laid the foundation for their title triumph. Later that year, Head once again broke Indian hearts with a majestic hundred in the 2023 World Cup final, guiding Australia to their sixth ODI crown.
While his latest innings at Lord’s may not have sparkled, the Adelaide-born southpaw has another shot to make an impact in the second innings. With just 83 runs separating him from Kohli’s summit, and a proven track record in cricket’s grandest stages, Head will be eager to deliver when it matters most. For a player who has turned ICC finals into his personal playground, another chapter in his growing legend may be just around the corner.
