Australia’s star batter Travis Head will skip the remaining two T20I matches of the ongoing five-match series against India in order to prepare himself for the upcoming Ashes series, set to begin on November 21.
Instead of playing against India, Head will represent his domestic team, South Australia, in the Sheffield Shield, where they will face Tasmania in Hobart next week. This will be his first first-class match since the West Indies tour in July.
A host of Australia’s first-choice players are set to feature in Sheffield Shield matches ahead of the Ashes opener in Perth. Head struggled with the bat in the ODI series and could not make much impact in the two T20I innings, with a top score of just 31. However, despite his recent dip in form, Head remains a crucial member of Australia’s Test squad. The left-hander is likely to bat at No. 5 in the Ashes. It is understood that Head himself decided to play a four-day match before the Ashes to regain his rhythm.
Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Steven Smith, Cameron Green, and Marnus Labuschagne are all expected to play Sheffield Shield matches next week. Head will join the South Australia squad along with wicketkeeper Alex Carey. In addition to Head, Tanveer Sangha has also been released from the T20I squad to play for New South Wales.
Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis has been added to Australia’s T20I squad for the remaining two matches against India. The T20I series currently stands level at 1-1 after India’s five-wicket win in Hobart. The fourth T20I will be played at Carrara on 6 November.
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