Travis Head, the Australian opener, showcased his usual aggressive style but played a supporting role to the in-form Abhishek Sharma during Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) chase of an imposing 246-run target. While Abhishek stole the show with his record-breaking 55-ball 141, Head played a crucial role in the chase, scoring 66 off 37 balls. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing on the field. During the chase, a verbal altercation broke out between Head and his fellow Australians, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis of Punjab Kings (PBKS).
The exchange occurred in the ninth over when Head smashed Maxwell for two consecutive sixes. While PBKS waited for the ball to be found, Maxwell and Head shared a few words. Not one to back down, Head fired back, and the confrontation continued after the over. The umpire had to intervene to cool things down. To make matters more intense, Stoinis came over to calm the situation, but Head wasn’t ready to back off. The situation was indeed fiery, but Head brushed it off after SRH’s emphatic eight-wicket victory, calling it nothing more than ‘banter’.
“You bring out the best and the worst in each other when you know them so well, nothing too serious, just a bit of banter,” Head explained to the broadcasters post-match.
Despite the tension, Head and Abhishek’s 171-run opening partnership proved pivotal in SRH’s chase. Abhishek went on to score a remarkable 141, but it was Head’s early flurry that set the tone for the chase. Head reached his fifty off just 31 balls before his dismissal in the 13th over, caught by Maxwell off Yuzvendra Chahal’s bowling.
“Not bad, nice to get on the winners list. Exceptional night, we needed it. We had our work cut out at the halfway point. We gave ourselves a chance, showed a bit more patience at the start. We knew the plans they were going to come with. Gave ourselves a bit more time and got off to a flier. We did the things we did really well last year and that’s what made us such a good partnership. It’s just about encouraging each other, picking our targets and setting the stage. We’ve seen 270-280 scored on that wicket. We’ve played on slightly different wickets but no.2 seems to put out big scores. Everything had to go right for us to chase down 240,” said Abhishek on their partnership.
This impressive win has moved SRH to the eighth spot in the points table, with two wins from six matches. They’ll next face the mighty Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium, and they’ll be hoping to continue their winning momentum.
