It was an emotional moment for Travis Head when he notched up his maiden Test hundred against Sri Lanka in Canberra on Friday. He looked up in the sky to celebrate the moment but later, after the day’s play, he revealed that he had dedicated the innings to his former teammate and late Australian batsman Phillip Huges.
While speaking on the SEN Radio Head shared his feelings and before breaking into tears, he said, “Yeah [I dedicated it to] a few, but Hughesy as well, a little bit emotional to be honest.”
“It was a little bit about trying to get the momentum back, it was a little like last week where we lost quick wickets and were a little bit under the pump. I felt like Burnsy and I were able to do that again,” he added.
Head’s batting partner Joe Burns sensed the emotions running through his mind when he reached the three figures. Burns stated that it seemed that Travis certainly wanted to offer his team-mate a long, strong hug to mark the moment.
“It's one of those innings today that'll get him started in his Test career, get that first one out of the way and open the floodgates. He was very emotional for his first hundred, out in the middle you don't ask how someone's feeling [but] I was just over the moon for him," Burns said.
In a cool, overcast day, Burns and Head dug Australia out of a hole after they lost Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne cheaply to be in trouble at 28 for three. Burns' knock turned out to be the first century for Australia since Khawaja's 141 against Pakistan in Dubai in October and only the second an Australian has scored since the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney almost 13 months ago.
At stumps, the Aussies were at a commanding 384 for four with Burns not out 172 and Kurtis Patterson.