Head expects he’ll keep opening after Ashes domination

Scott Bailey | January 6, 2026

Travis Head says it’s “probably likely” he’ll keep opening for Australia, after his third century of the summer helped Australia to an ever-growing 134-run lead over England.

With Head’s 163 off just 166 balls setting the tone for Australia on Tuesday, Smith later took over with an unbeaten 129 as the hosts went to stumps on day three at 7-518 in reply to England’s 384.

England are theoretically still in the game given the pitch will likely be at its most difficult on day five, but the tourists look a team ready for the flight home at 3-1 down in the series.

England have now put down six chances in this innings alone, including an absolute sitter from Will Jacks on the boundary when Head was on 121.

Smith was also offered a life on 12, dropped by Zak Crawley before he went to his 13th Ashes century to leave him second in Anglo-Australian contests behind only Don Bradman.

Every Australian batter has so far reached double figures, with Usman Khawaja making 17 in his farewell Test and Cameron Green frustrated to hole out in the deep for 37.

But it is Head’s impact on this series that has been the most demoralising for England.

Head raised his century from 105 balls, finishing with 24 boundaries and one big six over the legside off Matthew Potts.

While questions remain over Jake Weatherald’s future as opener, Head looks every chance to stay there.

He has previously said he is taking it Test by Test, while Australia have indicated they will re-evaluate his opening experiment before they next play in August against Bangladesh.

But Head looks set to stay as opener, also bearing in mind his 69-ball match-winning century in Perth and 170 in Adelaide.

“It’s probably likely. But we’ve got a lot of time,” he said.

“Right now you sit here and you go, ‘Yeah, next Test we play, I’ve come off 100 opening the batting, so you’ve probably got to look likely’.

“But with this rolling order, (it’s) where we think guys are going to match up and where we’re going to fit guys in.

“With the leadership of the group, the selectors, we’ve been pretty open about that”

By reaching his third century of the series on Tuesday, Head became the first Australian opener to do so in an Ashes battle since Matthew Hayden in 2002-03.

The 32-year-old’s return for the series is now 600 runs at 87.66, the most by an Australian opener in an Ashes contest this century.

Head made Potts (0-141) his prime target at the SCG, feasting on wayward bowling from a quick who has been too short and bowled both sides of the wicket.

The South Australian took 65 runs off the 47 balls he faced from the seamer, smashing nine boundaries and that huge six in a brutal welcome back to Test cricket for Potts.

“I’ve liked the new ball, I’ve liked the ball coming on, a harder ball,” Head said. 

“I haven’t really scored a run here ever at the SCG, because I’ve come in with a lot of runs on the board, catchers in front of the wicket … (bowlers bowling) stump to stump. 

“So to be here especially and face a new ball with no catchers and get away and get to a start and put pressure back on the bowlers, I enjoyed it.”

Head was eventually dismissed by a part-timer, trapped lbw by Jacob Bethell just after lunch. But by then, the damage had been inflicted.

Then it was Smith’s turn, hardly looking troubled as he crunched balls through the covers and drove superbly down the ground.

His shot of the day was a back-foot drive through the offside off Brydon Carse (3-108), after earlier using his feet and hitting Bethell back over his head for six.

After finding support to varying degrees in Khawaja, Alex Carey (16) and Green, Smith then went to stumps not out alongside Beau Webster (42no).