Travis Head captures bizarre slice of cricket history
If you didn’t realise Travis Head had been picked to play in the second Test against Pakistan, don’t worry about it.
Australia’s dominance of the visitors in Adelaide was so thorough, Head joined David Warner in the record books - albeit not for any feats of cricketing heroism like Warner’s sensational first innings knock of 355.
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Head became just the third Australian to play in a winning Test match without facing a ball, bowling a ball or taking a catch.
Australians to play in a winning Test match without batting, bowling or taking a catch:
TRAVIS HEAD vs Pakistan 2019
Craig McDermott vs England 1993
Bill Johnston vs West Indies 1955#AUSvsPAK @wwos— Brett Graham (@brett_graham) December 2, 2019
Channel 9 statistician Brett Graham pointed out the oddity on Twitter.
The only other Australian players to notch the rare feat were Craig McDermott in 1993 against England, and Bill Johnston against the West Indies in 1955.
Despite not recording any sort of measurable statistic in the thumping victory over Pakistan, you’d think Head would be hard done by to lose his spot.
Australia’s next test match will be against New Zealand, on December 12.
Lyon heroics lead to second innings rout
Nathan Lyon has spun Australia to a series whitewash over Pakistan, taking five wickets on Monday to finish off the innings-and-48-run victory in Adelaide.
After David Warner hit a ground-record triple-century and Mitchell Starc took six wickets in the first innings, Lyon roared to life on Monday to complete the job in the second Test.
Quiet in the first Test-and-a-half of the two-match series, the offspinner took 5-69 on Monday to have the tourists all out for 239.
It was the 16th five-wicket haul on his career, and took his tally of scalps at the ex-groundsmen's former workplace of Adelaide Oval to 50 - the second most of all time and six behind Shane Warne.
The win marked just the second time in Australia's history they had won all the matches in a series by more than an innings - with the other being against Bangladesh in 2003.
Pakistan were resilient, fighting out almost five hours on day four but in the end it was futile after Australia 3(dec)-590 batted them out of the match on the first two days.