‘S***house’: Head’s blunt response to batting debacle… and message for Aussie doubters

Travis Head has described Australia’s stunning collapse in Gqeberha as “s**thouse” but said the tourists are the world’s top-ranked Test team with good reason.

The Australian vice-captain, who made a superb second innings century in a Test the tourists lost by an innings and 31 runs at St George’s Park, expects a strong response in the series decider in Cape Town.

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The scene of Australia’s greatest cricket scandal eight years ago, the Cape Town Test shapes as a heavyweight clash to decide whether the reigning World Test Cricket champions South Africa or the current No.1 ranked Aussies are the premier side.

While crowds have been below par in the first two Tests in Durban and Gqeberha, tickets for the Newlands Test have sold well and a near-capacity crowd is expected for the first day of the decider on Tuesday.

The Australians and South African teams arrived in the coastal town on Friday afternoon and while the Proteas will have a rest day today, the Aussies will run an optional training session after the debacle that unfolded in Gqeberha.

“I think it’s pretty clear what we got wrong. We had a pretty s**thouse day. It is as simple as that. If we don’t get bowled out for 99, more than likely the Test goes to a draw,” Head said.

“It’s pretty obvious what we did poorly. So I think there’s disappointment in the room. We’ll talk about it over the next few days (and we will) have a couple of training sessions. The guys will be switched on. The guys will be ready to go again, and we push on.”

The Australians have not lost a Test series since the tour of India early in 2023, winning seven of the nine they have played while drawing against the West Indies and Bangladesh at home.

In recent home summers the Aussies have started slowly before rebounding but this is a different dynamic, for the No.1 team was routed in a match at St George’s Park that they initially had control of when reducing South Africa to 6-110.

But Head, who has now made four centuries in the nine Tests he has opening in after being promoted to the top of the order in the Ashes last year, is adamant the Aussies are a strong Test team.

“This team’s been very good at coming back from adversity,” he said.

“You only have to go back to … the first Test of each summer over the last sort of two or three years where we have not played our best cricket, but we’ve had to come back over a summer and play really well.

“Every guy has got a different blueprint (and) different experiences as well. But as a team collective, I think we know that when we are at our best, and that was last week (in Durban), we know what we need to do and there is confidence in the team.

“Obviously we keep reverting back to the World Test Championship and where we sit in the ICC rankings and what we’ve achieved over the last few years.

“The disappointment is not lost on us, but you’ve got to dust yourself off pretty quickly because you’re in a series and if you let that eat away at you, then we will start slowly next week and we could end up with another disappointing week. So we’ve got to front up, switch back on, and get going.”

But the Australians have some concerns, with the brittleness of the batting order remaining an ongoing problem.

An injured Steve Smith top-scored in the 99 all out debacle with 28 in the first innings, while only Head, nightwatchman Scott Boland and wicketkeeper Alex Carey could be pleased with the manner with which they batted in the second innings.

That is despite Marnus Labuschagne posting the third top score, for the No.3s poor shot selection to get out in a match Australia was trying to save has sharpened the spotlight on the Queenslander, who has not scored a Test ton in three years.

Moments before holing out off the bowling of Simon Harmer on Wednesday, Labuschagne had narrowly avoided an LBW dismissal and Head said his reaction to the reprieve pointed to the stress the No.3 is feeling in a prolonged drought.

“I’ve been there before. It’s a tough place to be when you think you’re batting well,” he said.

“I’ve probably been there more than anyone with 30s and 40s and you feel like you’re close but then it’s not quite there. And the timing is always tough as well.

“There’s obviously hard pressure on. That’s pretty obvious to see and it was obvious in the way he reacted when he obviously got away with an LB. He knows it was a big moment and he’s disappointed. But … nothing is ever guaranteed in the game.

“I can’t speak on what happens in the future. But you know he can play and you know it’s close with 30s and 30s and 30s. Test cricket is bloody hard, but we’re in a performance-based game, so everyone feels the pressure. I felt the pressure over the last couple of weeks. I’ve been desperate for runs, so everyone feels that no matter what position you are in.

“Steve Smith’s got 11,000 Test runs and I reckon he will feel pressure at some stage. Everyone wants to score. Everyone wants to be consistent, so you just have to try to run your process. I think his process is good. He just hasn’t been able to go on and he will be disappointed.”

Cameron Green was back batting in the nets during the Gqeberha Test and it is expected he will return to the team barring any setback in the days leading into the Cape Town decider.

That is likely to see Matthew Renshaw return to the top of the order in place of Nic Maddinson to partner Head. Josh Inglis and Cooper Connolly are other possibilities should further changes be needed, with Beau Webster also under pressure.

An issue for the Australians has been the failure to string partnerships together, with Head noting there had been a stretch of matches where only one to two individual batsman were firing.

While Australia’s batsman are given licence to own their own preparation and performance, the 32-year-old said the group do work as a collective as well.

“I think we’ve spoken as a group going into the series that we’ve sort of had one individual each time, and they’ve always been different individuals. And we sort of haven’t been able to get that collective batting day that we would desire as a team,” he said.

“We just haven’t been able to find that, and it’s something that the team’s been really good at over a long period of time, is being able to build big partnerships and substantial partnerships that win games of cricket.

“We just haven’t been able to find that in the last couple of months. It’s very hard to put a finger on why. We’re playing some exceptional attacks in some trying conditions. But it’s not (through a) lack of trying.

“We own our own space. We’re not dodging conversations around what each other needs and how we support each other and how those partnerships can work. It’s still a … combined effort.

“But cricket is a very individualised sport as well, so guys are going to go about it in different ways, but it’s not lost on us the importance of supporting each other and talking through situations and understanding each other’s game.”

While there has been significant chatter as to where Head is best placed in the batting order, the dual-Allan Border Medallist said he will step out wherever the selectors require him to bat.

“I see myself again where Ronnie and Pat want to put me, and I’m 100 per cent right now that they want me open and I’m chips in on that, so I’m not going to falter or waver off that,” he said.

“As soon as my mind drifts elsewhere, that’s not putting the team forward as first, and I potentially might not be able to do as good a job as I could.

“I feel like I’ve started really well in most innings, and I feel like I’m close to doing a job each time, and sort of getting that 10-12 over period and knocking the shine off it for the boys. And I’d love to go on and get more runs.

“I’d been disappointed with that in the last couple of weeks (and) I’ve been desperate for runs. You always want to start the summer well and get into it and contribute all the time.

“But like I said, I haven’t thought about that and I’m not wavering on that until otherwise. So that’s up to Pat, Camo, and George, Pat, Ron, and George, and yeah, sweet. If that’s in 18 Tests or if that’s in two hours, and so be it. I’ll prepare the best way I can.”