Head hopes to close 'tough' India chapter with another winning hand

Travis Head's latest India sojourn can be summed up in a few words - immense backing, missed opportunities and delayed success. The 23-year-old arrived in India with Steven Smith throwing his weight behind the youngster and handing him the No. 4 spot. Even if that meant letting Hilton Cartwright open the batting in the first two One-Day Internationals.

Australia offered the 23-year-old chances in the No. 3, 4, 5 bracket in batting order to see what fits best, but couldn't find conclusive evidence at the end of the five ODIs. Head at four was one of Australia's projects in the series that didn't quite take off like they - or he - would've liked, but the flame flickered on in the second T20I.

After a series of missed opportunities, Head's unbeaten 34-ball 48 in Australia's win in Guwahati came as such a relief that the youngster was hopeful of putting on a repeat show in the series decider in Hyderabad on Friday.

"It was nice to be in a winning partnership. As batters, you want to be there and win games for Australia. And we were able to do that. With the series on the line, hopefully someone can do it. Hopefully, it's me again," Head said with a smile on Thursday (October 12), before delving into the disappointment that has been this tour of India for him.

The real chance to make a case for himself as a viable top-order option in the long run came in the testing conditions of Kolkata. David Warner and Cartwright had no answers for the extra swing on offer, but Head calmed things down to a great extent while batting with an under-fire Glenn Maxwell.

It was Head's fall, to an innocuous full toss from Yuzvendra Chahal for a run-a-ball 39, that brought about the visitors' downfall in that game. In Indore, Head could've been excused for his failure after having walked in to bat (at No. 5) in the 43rd over, but his struggles on a two-paced Bengaluru surface (at No. 3) and the inability to consolidate a good start in Nagpur (42 off 59 at No. 5) made for grim readings.

"Yeah, [it has been a] pretty disappointing [tour] personally. I've been able to get some starts throughout the tour and not go on I guess. I had some pretty poor execution on some of the dismissals. That's probably been the most disappointing part. Just some little things I haven't been doing is what I've really focused on in the last few training sessions. It was nice those things worked last game and I was able to come out of the tour with some success. To get some runs the other night was nice; it's been a tough tour.

"I did get the opportunity at 4 and didn't take it. I had runs in the practice game, but it didn't quite work in the ODIs. I guess in the T20Is I felt really good in the first game. And the other night I played really well. So I feel like I can do it, it's just about taking the opportunity when it arises."

Australia's fortunes have almost mirrored Head's fate in the series. At different junctures, they've had their chances to force parity in the ODI series, but failed to do so - managing their solitary 50-over victory only after the series was squandered away.

The T20Is were supposed to come as a fresh start but a similar template followed in Bhubaneshwar, urging Australia to regroup swiftly. They did that and looked a completely different outfit in Guwahati, where they produced their most clinical performance of the entire tour. Head revealed the team changed a few things around in training.

"Yeah, we have changed a few things up at training. Personally, I've gone back to some stuff and drill-work I did at home. Just slow things down and get into good positions. I don't think I've been doing that in one-dayers. So, to get back and do those things and as a team, think of training a little bit and try a few different things, which is nice.

"So yeah, 'put pressure on the batters in the nets' are the sort of things we've been talking about. It showed in the last game and I think guys are in good form," he concluded.