5 days Ago By Oliver Caffrey
Travis Head insists he could play cricket every day but Australia's middle-order dynamo believes an extended break has been the best preparation to take on India. The World Cup hero has re-joined the Australian squad after missing white-ball matches against Pakistan due to the birth of his second child. Head's last competitive match was South Australia's Sheffield Shield clash with NSW in early October when he made 30 and 10.
It is stark contrast to the lead-in for last summer, when Australia were coming off the busiest year in their cricket history after a tour of India, an away Ashes, and the successful ODI World Cup campaign. "I could play every single day if I wanted to," said Head, adding he had never found fatigue greatly affected him. "For me, it's about how I can maximise my family time.
"I want to have a family when I come home, and playing every single day doesn't allow me to do that. "But tired, or not tired, it doesn't really faze me. I've been through the grind before, but I'm feeling good.
" Allrounder Mitch Marsh has also been on leave to support wife Greta, who gave birth to the couple's first child on Sunday night. Marsh still managed to train at the WACA Ground on Monday, but was exempt from his pre-planned media commitments to support his new family before the first Test starts on Friday. Despite new opener Nathan McSweeney coming in as a debutant, Head will remain at short leg.
That fielding position often goes to the newest member of the batting order, but McSweeney will slot straight into the slips cordon instead. "We've had some fun with that. I've been throwing that around the sheds for the last couple of days," Head said.
"I'm happy to do it (short leg), but I'm never going to miss a chance for a gag or to wind someone up. "I probably knew deep down that I was going to still be stuck in there, but I'll look after Nathan, he's a good fella.".
