Head was a pivotal figure in the World Cup final against India. Scoring 137 runs off 120 balls, Rohit Sharma led the team to victory in front of a crowd of 132,000 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, leaving the 1.4 billion-strong Indian audience silent. Travis Head seemed to have stunned the Indian fans. Subsequently, the celebrations began with Satirtha and the family, continuing till now.
Despite winning the World Cup, within just four days, Australia is gearing up to face India again. The opposition remains the same—India. The first of the five-match T20 series starts today in Visakhapatnam. Many consider it meaningless that the finalists are playing again so soon after the World Cup. Former England captain Michael Vaughan has called this arrangement a temptation and an exaggeration.
This series has sparked celebrations for Australia’s World Cup victory. Eight members of the World Cup-winning team have returned home. Among them are captain Pat Cummins, pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey, batsmen David Warner and Marcus Stoinis, all-rounder Cameron Green, and Mitchell Marsh. Joining India for the T20 series are Steve Smith, Adam Zampa, Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Glenn Maxwell, and Josh Inglis.
With this unusual lineup, Head and Maxwell’s celebrations seem to have stalled temporarily to take the field. However, if Head takes the field today, it would be surprising, considering the disbelief among Indian fans after the World Cup final, stated Satirtha Marsh. At Melbourne Airport yesterday, the all-rounder stated, “I am not sure if he (Head) will play today. I am neither a selector nor a coach. But if he does, it will be astonishing.”
The conclusion of the T20 series will see Head and Maxwell back in the country, uniting everyone for another celebration of the World Cup victory. Marsh said, “We have returned home, and they are still in India. We’ll reunite in a few days. We’re waiting for that moment.”
The Indian team, however, doesn’t face as much complexity as the Australians. In the T20 series, the only player from the World Cup final squad is Suryakumar Yadav. He’s the lone representative of the World Cup squad and is set to lead the team. Apart from Yadav, only two players, Ishan Kishan and Prasidh Krishna, are part of this series.
This series marks the beginning of preparations for the 2024 T20 World Cup between India and Australia.
