In a thrilling display at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, Australian batsman Travis Head etched his name into cricketing history. He became the fastest Australian to amass 3,000 One Day International runs, surpassing the previous record held by Steve Smith.
Following a couple of subdued outings in Perth and Adelaide, Head truly unleashed his aggressive batting style on Sydney’s challenging pitch, which showed visible cracks. He reached the significant 3,000-run milestone in just his 76th innings, completing the feat with a quick single to mid-off on the famously high-scoring SCG.
This remarkable achievement means Head reached the mark three innings quicker than Steve Smith, who did it in 79 innings. Cricket legends Michael Bevan and George Bailey are tied for third place, having each achieved 3,000 ODI runs in 80 innings.
Furthermore, Head’s impressive speed extends to the number of balls faced. His 2,839 deliveries place him fourth overall in terms of pace, following explosive hitters like Glenn Maxwell (2,440 balls), Jos Buttler (2,533 balls), and Jason Roy (2,820 balls).
Head’s innings began with a bang, as he confidently struck a boundary off Mohammed Siraj in the third over. He continued to dominate Siraj, hitting two more fours, and then added another boundary against Prasidh Krishna.
During the final over of the powerplay, Head once again targeted Siraj, smashing a four over the covers. However, Siraj ultimately had the last laugh, dismissing Head on the very next delivery when his late cut was expertly caught by Prasidh Krishna at backward point.
This dismissal marked a recurring pattern, as it was Siraj’s ninth time claiming Head’s wicket in just 19 innings across all cricket formats.
Despite his brief but impactful innings of 29 runs from 25 balls – his highest score in the three-match series – Head’s career statistics now stand at an impressive 3,007 runs from 79 matches, maintaining an excellent average of 43.57 and a striking strike rate of 105.73.