"When he sees blue color, he just wakes up" - Former India batter's quirky remark on Travis Head's Perth heroics in Ashes 2025-26 1st Test

Former India batter Aakash Chopra quipped that Travis Head perhaps did not like England's blue caps and hence launched an exceptional assault on their bowlers in Perth. He further quipped that something changes in the southpaw when he sees blue color in the opposition.

Australia beat India by eight wickets in the opening Ashes 2025-26 Test in Perth on Saturday, November 22. In a match that ended on Day 2, Head clobbered 123 off 83 balls after the Aussies were set a target of 205. Thanks to the southpaw's heroics, the hosts romped home in 28.2 overs.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra lauded Head's knock in Australia's second innings in Perth and cheekily commented:

"Travis Head, what a hammering he has given [England]. At the start of the series, he was asked about opening the innings. He said there was no chance of him opening the batting. But he got an opportunity to open and maybe he didn't like England's blue caps. When he sees blue color, he just wakes up. He played a brilliant knock, scored a hundred and the Test ended in two days."

Indian fans don't have fond memories of Head. The aggressive southpaw scored 163 in the first innings of the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval. He also scored a superb hundred in the 2023 World Cup final against the Men in Blue at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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"He knocked us off our lengths" - England coach's massive praise for Travis Head

Reflecting on the eight-wicket defeat in Perth, England coach Brendon McCullum asserted that they felt 200 was a defendable score. He, however, lauded Head for playing an extraordinary knock and making a complete mockery of England's bowling. The former Kiwi skipper candidly admitted:

"I thought 200 was a good score for us to try to defend. The way Travis Head played was absolutely outstanding. It's one of the best knocks I've ever seen in a pressure situation on a tough wicket. He knocked us off our lengths. We wanted to try to hold length as long as we possibly could but he put us under so much pressure that we couldn't do it."

Opening the innings, Head clobbered 16 fours and four sixes in his 136-minute knock. The southpaw added 75 with debutant Jake Weatherald (23) and 117 with Marnus Labuschagne, who was unbeaten on 51 off 49 balls.

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Edited by Renin Wilben Albert