Melbourne, 28 December (H.S.):

Australian opener Travis Head expressed delight over his stellar contributions in the ongoing Ashes Test series against England on Sunday, affirming his contentment opening the batting in the fifth Test at Sydney while embracing versatility in team roles.

Australia leads the five-match Ashes 3-1, with the decisive final Test scheduled from January 4 to 8 in Sydney; the left-handed Head, 31, tops the run charts with 437 runs in eight innings across four matches—including two centuries—initially batting at number five before shifting to opener, signaling willingness to adapt for team needs.

Series Dominance and Teammate Support

Head, speaking in Melbourne, remarked, I'm enjoying opening the top. I'm batting well. I feel like I'm getting the ball in the right areas. It's nice to contribute in different ways. Despite scrutiny on struggling teammates amid low scores in the first four Tests, he backed debutant opener Jake Weatherald, who aggregated 146 runs in eight innings since Test debut.

Head defended Weatherald, stating, I think Jake is a really good international cricketer. He's shown glimpses in his first four Tests. Things won't always go your way. There are plenty of guys who look under pressure with the bat but are some of the best in our generation. He added that starting an international career toughly does not diminish Weatherald's quality for Test cricket.

Ashes Results So Far:

First Test: Australia won by 8 wickets.

Second Test: Australia won by 8 wickets.

Third Test: Australia won by 82 runs.

Fourth Test: England won by 4 wickets.

No incidents marred Head's comments or series proceedings to date.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar