Travis Head focusing on Oval after Australia ‘got away with one’ at Old Trafford
Travis Head admitted Australia had “combined feelings” after Sunday’s washout in Manchester noticed them retain the Ashes, however is aware of the sensation will probably be very completely different if they’ll win the sequence.
Rain pressured the ultimate day of the fourth Take a look at at Old Trafford to be deserted, wiping out the prospect of a possible winner-takes-all decider at the Kia Oval.
Australia have arrived in south London with a 2-1 lead and know the urn will return house with them, however an identical situation in 2019 noticed them come unstuck within the remaining Take a look at and subsequently pressured to accept a drawn sequence.
Given the vacationers haven’t received an Ashes sequence in England since 2001, there may be a lot on the road regardless of the frustration of final weekend’s moist climate.
“The sensation round it was sure, we now have received away with one, however finally we now have come right here to win the Ashes and we now have gone an enormous method to doing that,” Head mirrored two days out from the fifth Take a look at beginning on Thursday.
“We performed very nice for 3 Take a look at matches, possibly not performed one of the best week final week, but when we are able to shut that out and take into consideration what we did properly for the primary three Take a look at matches, it should put us in good stead for this week.
“This week is essential and I believe there are lots of similarities with ’19.
“Coming right here with the chance and lots of completely different emotions with how the weeks panned out in ’19 after which this week, however I additionally suppose off the again of that, it most likely confirmed us how a lot it meant and the way a lot successful the Ashes would truly actually imply as an alternative of retaining them.
“No-one had carried out it for such an extended time frame till 2019 and the excessive of retaining them, reaching that was big and nice, however then we didn’t have our greatest week that yr.
“So, I believe once we mirror from that and shifting ahead with the group being fairly related, the ambition is to return right here and win them so we now have received that probability.”
Australia had been fully outplayed in Manchester with England capable of submit 592 to ascertain a 275-run first-innings lead and Pat Cummins’ aspect had been nonetheless within the pink when the heavens opened at Old Trafford.
Solely 30 overs of a scheduled 180 had been bowled through the weekend and Head painted the image of a peaceful dressing room as soon as the draw was confirmed.
Head added: “It’s combined feelings since you would like to win a Take a look at match to retain them and hopefully this week we are able to win a Take a look at match to do it.
“A draw is a special feeling, it doesn’t matter what the state of affairs, however there was no actual large elation as a result of we may see the state of affairs coming.
“It was a very relaxed group, we had a quiet beer and a chat about the place we have to go and what we are able to obtain this week, so our heads moved fairly rapidly onto this week.”
