Head
(152)
passed
150
for
the
second
time
in
his
Test
career
on
Friday
(December
10),
as
Australia
took
a
lead
of
278
runs
after
scoring
425
from
their
first
innings.
He
had
a
batting
strike
rate
of
102.7
in
his
innings
–
the
second-best
by
any
player
to
score
100+
runs
in
a
men’s
Test
innings
at
the
Gabba,
after
Joe
Burns
(129
runs,
104.9
SR
v
New
Zealand)
in
November
2015.
Pat
Cummins
and
Mitchell
Starc
dismissed
Rory
Burns
and
Haseeb
Hameed
respectively
to
leave
England
on
61-2,
but
Joe
Root
and
Dawid
Malan
led
the
fightback
for
the
tourists.
102.7
–
Travis
Head
(@CricketAus)
had
a
batting
strike
rate
of
102.7
in
his
innings
of
152
against
England;
it’s
the
second
best
rate
by
any
player
to
score
100+
runs
in
a
men’s
Test
innings
at
The
Gabba
(Joe
Burns
–
129
runs,
104.9
SR
v
NZ
in
Nov
2015).
Impactful.#Ashes
pic.twitter.com/lPcwMDm1Ig—
OptaJason
(@OptaJason)
December
10,
2021
Root,
who
has
now
scored
1,541
runs
in
2021
(the
most
an
England
captain
has
managed
in
a
calendar
year),
reached
stumps
on
86
not
out,
while
Malan
will
resume
on
80.
While
having
had
joy
with
the
new
ball,
Australia
struggled
to
unsettle
Root
and
Malan
as
the
day
wore
on
and
batting
conditions
improved.
Head,
however,
is
still
confident
the
game
is
in
Australia’s
hands,
though
he
emphasised
the
importance
of
a
strong
start
on
day
four,
with
England
trailing
by
58
runs.
“Having
seen
with
the
new
ball,
both
last
night
and
in
our
innings,
we’ve
seen
it
challenging
the
bat,”
he
told
BT
Sport.
“That’s
going
to
be
the
key
tomorrow
morning
is
hopefully
getting
a
wicket
in
those
first
10
overs
then
we
get
the
new
ball
again,
it’s
going
to
be
key
for
us.
“If
we
can
hopefully
get
one
or
two
[wickets]
in
those
10
overs,
hold
onto
those
runs,
each
one’s
going
to
be
gold.
If
we
can
have
five
or
six
wickets
at
evens
we’re
right
in
it
and
still
driving
that
game.
“I
think
we
created
opportunities
throughout
the
day.
No
surprise
in
the
way
[Root
and
Malan]
came
back
out
and
applied
themselves,
two
quality
batsman
that
have
put
themselves
in
a
position
of
fighting
back.
“We
still
hold
a
great
advantage,
60
runs
with
the
new
ball
round
the
corner.
Still
positive
and
it’s
going
to
be
a
positive
morning.”
