Australia’s dynamic batter, Travis Head, has etched a significant milestone into cricketing history, becoming the fastest Australian to accumulate 3,000 One-Day International runs. He achieved this remarkable feat during the third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground on a recent Saturday, surpassing the previous record held by Steve Smith.
Following less impactful performances in Perth and Adelaide, Head unleashed an aggressive batting display on Sydney’s quick pitch, which notably showed visible cracks. He smoothly reached the 3,000-run mark in his 76th innings with a single hit to mid-off, a classic moment at the famously high-scoring SCG.
This achievement saw Head reach the milestone three innings quicker than Steve Smith, who took 79 innings, establishing a new Australian record. Cricket legends Michael Bevan and George Bailey are tied for the third-fastest, having reached this benchmark in 80 innings each.
In terms of deliveries faced, Head’s 2,839 balls place him fourth overall, trailing only Glenn Maxwell (2,440), Jos Buttler (2,533), and Jason Roy (2,820), highlighting his rapid scoring rate.
Head’s impactful innings started with a boundary off Mohammed Siraj in the third over. He maintained his attacking stance against Siraj, adding two more fours, and then struck another boundary off Prasidh Krishna.
During the concluding powerplay over, Head expertly lofted Siraj for a four over the covers. However, Siraj soon had his revenge, dismissing Head on the very next ball when his late cut was caught by Prasidh Krishna at backward point. This dismissal marked the ninth time Siraj has claimed Head’s wicket in just 19 innings across all formats.
Head’s brief yet explosive innings yielded 29 runs from 25 balls, marking his highest score in the three-match series. His career statistics now boast an impressive 3,007 runs from 79 matches, with an average of 43.57 and a striking strike rate of 105.73.