Head shrugs off pink ball factor in day-night Test

Travis Head, who does some of his best work at night, well remembers India's last Test match under the lights of the Adelaide Oval. In 2020, the tourists were dubbed the Adelaide 36ers - not for similarity to the South Australian capital's basketball team, but because they were skittled for 36 all out. India, now returning to the scene of their lowest Test score, lasted just 21.2 overs in their second innings. Australian quick Josh Hazlewood took 5-8, Pat Cummins 4-21, and the home side won by eight wickets before dusk on the third day. "That was a quick Test, so it was good - we got to enjoy all the bits of Adelaide after that Test match and go to Penfolds (winery) - it was lovely week, so it'd be nice to do that again," Head told reporters on Monday. Head only batted once in the December 17-19 Test of 2020, making seven - a rare failure for the South Australian lefthander in day-night Tests. From eight pink ball day-night Tests, he has scored two tons and three half-centuries and averages 49.36, almost nine more than his career average. His last three Test knocks on his home deck in day-nighters have returned scores of 175, 38no and 119, all against the West Indies. What's his secret? "Knowing it (Adelaide Oval) quite well and being put in a couple of really good positions to bat," he said. "I have come in at some nice times. "Just growing up playing on this wicket, it can be challenging at times (but) it probably suits my game a lot more being (short boundaries) square of the wicket and the way that ball can react off the wicket." Head hopes to replicate those feats in the second Test against India in Adelaide starting on Friday but dismissed any relevance of past results. Australia have won 11 of 12 day-night Tests while India have played just four, winning three. "It has been a year since we played a pink ball Test and India got another look at it last night," he said, referring to the tourists' match against the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra. "Everyone's well experienced enough, especially in our team as well, at international level, you get accustomed to things pretty quickly. "I don't think it will take them long to be prepared for it and same for us." The pragmatic Head said there was a risk of over-thinking the nature of the pink ball. "It's still a game of cricket, you have still got to play it the right way, you have still got to take it for what it is and not try to get too far ahead of yourself," he said. "But there can be some tricky situations and some tricky moments in the game, depending on when you may bat - but again, it doesn't change too much. "It's just now a pink ball coming down and you have got to face it the same way, you react to it the same way, and play the game how it comes out."