Travis Head 'Happy' To Keep Opening Role Amid Doubts Over Usman Khawaja's Status Ahead Of Ashes Brisbane Test

Brisbane [Australia]: Travis Head is "happy" to continue opening the innings for Australia amid the ongoing Usman Khawaja debate ahead of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane. The second Test against England will be held at the iconic Gabba, starting December 4. The second Test of the five-match series will be a pink-ball Test.

Australia's hard-hitter Head played a match-winning knock, scoring 123 runs while chasing a target of 205 runs, in the Ashes opener at Perth.

Notably, Head has been Australia's first-choice middle-order batter in Test cricket for the last four years.
During the first Test, Head was asked to open the innings for Australia after Khawaja was off the field following neck spasms. Head hammered 123 off 83 balls, helped Australia chase down the target in just 28.2 overs, taking a 1-0 lead into Thursday's second Test at the Gabba.

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"I'm happy. If that's what is needed to win a Test match and if that's what's required then, yeah, I'm fine with it," Head said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

"I'm preparing for anything at this stage. There's a fair bit to work through. I've just got here. We haven't really had many conversations over the last week. It's been about just spending some time out of the game as much as you can. You don't get much time to chill out in a massive series like this, where it's pretty full-on every single day," the Australian batter added.

Australia have announced a 14-member squad for the Brisbane Test against England. Khawaja has been included, but he has given no guarantees over his place with the selectors. He has come under significant scrutiny after averaging 31.84 in the last two years with a single century.

For England, the visitors are likely to miss pacer Mark Wood, who is set to be ruled out of the Brisbane contest due to an injury, as per ESPNcricinfo.

As per ESPNcricinfo, Wood's absence from England's opening training session at Allan Border Field on Saturday – before the pink-ball Test--suggests he is being rested as the tourists look to recover from their 1-0 deficit. If all goes smoothly, he is expected to be available again for the third Test in Adelaide, which starts on December 17.

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The Three Lions aim to manage the fast bowler carefully for the rest of the Ashes. Wood featured in an all-pace attack during the opening Test in Perth, marking his first competitive match in nearly nine months following knee surgery in March to repair medial ligament damage.