Travis Head, primarily known for his explosive batting, showcased his bowling skills during the second Test between Australia and Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium on February 6. Head struck gold in his first over, dismissing in-form Kamindu Mendis, and his celebration quickly went viral.
Travis Head pulls out hot hand celebration after dismissing Kamindu Mendis
In the 46th over of Sri Lanka’s first innings, Head delivered a short-pitched ball outside the off-stump. The extra bounce surprised Mendis, who edged the ball straight into the hands of Steve Smith. Mendis was out for 13 runs off 12 balls, exacerbating Sri Lanka’s struggles. This marked Sri Lanka’s fourth wicket to fall.
After dismissing Rishabh Pant in the Melbourne Test recently, Head celebrated in a quirky way that stirred discussions among fans and players. Head pointed one finger into his other hand’s palm, shaped like an O. When asked about it, Head explained the unique celebration, saying it means “finger on the ice“. He mentioned he started it in Sri Lanka.
The unusual gesture quickly went viral, with some hailing it as quirky and others questioning its intent. Former India batter Navjot Singh Sidhu expressed disapproval and called on the ICC to impose penalties for what he deemed an inappropriate display.
Also READ: SL vs AUS: Nathan Lyon opens up on Australia’s ambition of whitewashing Sri Lanka in the Test series
Here’s the Video:
https://twitter.com/7Cricket/status/1887415660092756052
— rohitkohlirocks@123@ (@21OneTwo34) February 6, 2025
Australia’s bowling performance dominate on Day 1
Sri Lanka, after winning the toss and choosing to bat first, faced a tough start. Australia’s bowling attack made early inroads, with Pathum Nissanka falling for 11 runs. Nathan Lyon removed both Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews. At the time of Mendis’ dismissal, Sri Lanka stood at 126 for 4 in 46 overs, with Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis attempting to stabilize the innings.
After visitor’s first Test of 2022 tour of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka adjusted the pitch preparation to be more batter-friendly for the initial days before introducing significant spin. Head noted that the pitch being prepared for the game appeared different from the first Test. He recalled and adjusted to the previous conditions, where the ends were notably dry, and the middle was heavily rolled to neutralize Australia’s fast bowler Mitchell Starc.
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