Travis Head produced unexpected heroics with the ball, claiming four wickets, but his all-round efforts were not enough to save Australia from a crushing 98-run defeat to South Africa. The aggressive opener’s bowling was a rare highlight on a dark day for the home side.
Head’s part-time off-spin proved surprisingly difficult to handle, as he finished with figures of 4-57. He even claimed three wickets in a single over, briefly halting South Africa’s momentum and giving Australia a foothold in the game.
However, the Proteas still managed to post a formidable 8-296, thanks to half-centuries from Aiden Markram (82) and Temba Bavuma (65). This total meant that despite Head’s bowling success, the pressure was still firmly on the Australian batters.
In the chase, Head contributed 27 before becoming the first wicket to fall, an event that triggered a stunning collapse. His efforts with the ball were ultimately overshadowed by the team’s collective failure with the bat against the superb Keshav Maharaj (5-33).