Teammate’s scary premonition of world-beater Head

It seemed a tad premature for a player who a few months earlier had lost his Cricket Australia contract but it’s time to give the fortune teller his due.In consecutive Gabba Tests the free-spirited Head has taken a century off England and then treated the decorated South African attack as if they are park bowlers.He may have floundered in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in between but his best work in Australia really is rare air.Head has always been an interesting case study, partially because South Australia has over the past decades produced three left-handed stroke-players – Darren Lehmann, Wayne Phillips and David Hookes – who played less than 30 Tests each for varying reasons despite being players of exceptional talent.Head, for several years seen as a flighty fringe player, has somehow managed to crack the Test match code on home shores.The national selectors have always liked Head but they were never sure how to get the best from him.Some people have said his stunning form surge proves he should never have lost his Cricket Australia contract – others who know him well say it was the making of him.Gabba factbox10.45AM: STARC’S CRUEL MILESTONE BLOWMitchell Starc is on the verge of joining one of the most elite groups in Australian cricket – the 300 club.And for a brief moment yesterday, he thought he was about to become Australia’s seventh Test bowler to take 300 wickets. Only for Travis Head to come up with the only blot on his copybook yesterday.Before he revived Australia’s batting with a superb counter-attacking knock, Head spilled a tough chance at bat-pad that would’ve given Starc his milestone wicket.The catch went in, then out, and then hit the turf leaving Starc stranded on 299 going into the second innings against South Africa.“He had a few cracks at it. (The 300th wicket) will come when it comes,” Starc told Fox Cricket.“It’s been an enjoyable journey. We’ll forgive Heady if he keeps going with the bat as he is.”10.15am - AUSSIES’ PLAN TO CRUSH PROTEASAustralia resume in a very strong position – they trail South Africa’s first innings by just seven runs, with Travis Head unbeaten on 78 and eyeing off another Test century this summer.Head added 117 with Steve Smith yesterday to put Australia well on top after three sessions, but with the sun out at the Gabba today it looks like batting conditions could be at their best.Head will need to combine with Cameron Green, who will come to the crease after nightwatchman Scott Boland’s dismissal closed play yesterday, and Alex Carey in a bid to bat South Africa out of the contest.A lead of anything north of 100 runs will look like an enormous mountain to climb for South Africa and what looks like a fairly feeble batting lineup.However if Rabada, Nortje and Jansen can regroup and knock over the final five wickets without too much damage – then make the most of the better batting conditions this afternoon – we could have a game on our hands.Watch Australia v South Africa. Every test match live and ad-break in play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >COOL SKIPPERPat Cummins’ smooth transition to the Test captaincy has left Australia to ask itself whether it’s been seduced by fake logic for 145 years.That long held theory that bowlers were too busy to run the team meant that before Cummins took, Ray Lindwall – in one Test only – was the only other specialist fast man to lead as Australian Test team.Cummins greatest challenges are ahead with series against India and England butbut there is a calm resilience in this team and Cummins had no qualms in challenging convention by bowling first at the Gabba.There seems no doubt that Cummins encouragement of Head to play his natural game has helped him play with uplifting freedom.You wonder what other fast bowlers could have offered as Test leaders had they not been discarded because of the “batsman are best’’ theory.The great Keith Miller was snubbed because he was deemed too colourful off the field but was adored by his fellow players who enjoyed playing under him at state level.Geoff Lawson was never close to captaining Australia yet he was the most progressive Sheffield Shield captain of the 1980s and would have been an interesting choice if ever Allan Border had been injured.Lindwall got one Test as skipper. His mates reckon he could easily have done the job full-time.UNLEASH THE BEASTOccasional film producer Kagiso Rabada recently did a movie called Ring of Beasts then, for one dramatic ball, became one at the Gabba.Bowlers have been trying to tuck up David Warner with short stuff for years but he is so quick and evasive that unless you land it on the pin point, you pay.But Rabada at his best is next level. He was clearly a man with a plan.He warmed up strongly and arrowed his first ball directly at the body where Warner’s feet came off the ground, his hand came off the bat and his eye came off the ball as he fended to short leg who was on red alert for precisely that shot.Someone in the press box exclaimed “it was a really tough one to get first up but you do get those ones first up.’’South Africa have their plan for the series for Warner now.Opening the batting is a brutal professional and Warner’s recent modest form will mean at age 36 he is on trial for his future in the final two Tests of the series.Batsmen can age quickly against express pace but Warner is a renowned scrapper. Great challenges await against a fabulous South African pace attack – not simply for Warner but everyone.Updates to story Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au