Head's Warner-like impact reshapes Australia's batting

You could not get two more contrasting options. When Usman Khawaja's back went for a second time during the opening Test in Perth, Australia were weighing up two choices to fill role for their run chase: Travis Head and Nathan Lyon. As history shows, they went for the former and it has changed the shape of Australia's batting for the foreseeable future.

There was a school of thought when the home side were preparing to chase 205 on the second afternoon of the first Test that, effectively, it was worth sacrificing a tailender with not much to lose to try and set the innings up for the middle order. But Head, who had remained at No. 5 in the first innings the day before, was insistent that it was his time and he was granted his wish.

"Going back to Perth, Trav put his hand up," captain Steven Smith said. "I said it after that, we were tossing and turning between Nathan Lyon going out to bat and Travis Head, and thankfully we went the right way."

Five Tests later Head has finished with 629 runs including three centuries. Mitchell Starc rightly took the Compton-Miller Medal, but Head had an equally defining role in the outcome of the series. England never recovered from his 83-ball onslaught in Perth and his 170 in Adelaide secured the urn. In Sydney, he capped his series with a free-flowing 163.

No Australia opener has ever scored more than three hundreds in a Test series. The last to do so was David Warner in 2015 - in the Ashes, it was Matthew Hayden in 2002-03 - and Head's recasting at the top of the order looks like the replacement for Warner they have been searching for.

"The way he's just come out and put the pressure on the opposition from ball one has been incredible and, yeah, similar to what Davey used to do," Smith said.

England's new-ball bowling was often poor in this series, but Head was able to score even from the reasonably good deliveries. "He just puts you right under the pump," Smith said. "If you miss, it's going to the fence and with the new ball as well, it helps guys batting behind him.

"It softens that ball up definitely when he's hitting it as hard as he is. I thought Jake [Weatherald] had a few really good contributions with him up top as well. Trav's just been phenomenal and I'd say he's pretty much locked away at the top now, I would imagine."

As Smith pointed to, there were some handy opening partnerships between Head and Jake Weatherald - 75 in Perth, 77 in Brisbane and 51 in Sydney. However, while Head appears to have cemented his spot, Australia end the Ashes back where they started: still debating an opening position.

It's not to say that Weatherald won't be facing Bangladesh in August, but his final return of 201 runs at 22.33, which ended with him getting into a tangle against short delivery on the final day at the SCG, means there's a decision to be made.

"He probably didn't quite get the runs that he would have wanted," Smith said. "But he got us off to a couple of really good starts in pressure situations like today and in Perth as well in that second innings

"I think the new ball is definitely the trickiest time to bat in Australia at the moment, for sure. I think he did a good job. It's obviously down to the selectors how they see fit for our next couple of games in August."

Overall, despite the 4-1 scoreline, there are issues for the selectors to consider around Australia's batting line-up. There is a confirmed vacancy after Khawaja's retirement while Cameron Green had an unconvincing series as he shuffled around the order.

Josh Inglis played in Brisbane and Adelaide without taking his opportunity, making 65 runs at 21.66 in three innings, but Beau Webster had an instant impact when recalled for Sydney with an unbeaten 71 and three wickets.

The Sheffield Shield resumes in early February with four rounds to play plus the final. Some of the batting contenders may feature in county cricket while it's yet to be confirmed if there will be any Australia A cricket during the winter ahead of the squad being selected to face Bangladesh in Darwin and Mackay, which begins a run of up to 21 Tests in 11 months.