Australia’s Travis Head has withdrawn from the remaining two T20Is against India to prepare for the upcoming Ashes, opting to play red-ball cricket for South Australia in next week’s Sheffield Shield clash against Tasmania in Hobart. It will be his first first-class appearance since the West Indies tour in July.
The decision allows Head to fine-tune his red-ball form ahead of the high-stakes series against England, where he is set to anchor the middle order at No. 5. His return adds more star power to a stacked round of Shield fixtures featuring key Test contenders.
Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will spearhead New South Wales alongside Nathan Lyon, while Steven Smith, Scott Boland, Cameron Green, and Marnus Labuschagne will also feature across different states. Head’s South Australia side will also include Alex Carey and Brendan Doggett.
Meanwhile, legspinner Tanveer Sangha has been released to play in the One-Day Cup, while Ben Dwarshuis returns to the T20I squad after injury. The five-match T20I series remains evenly poised at 1-1 following India’s five-wicket win in Hobart.
