Travis Head dazzled the crowd at Perth Stadium on Saturday, crafting a Test match century hailed as one of cricket’s finest.

The South Australian batter faced off against England’s formidable pace attack, with Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, on a challenging pitch in Western Australia. His aggressive play saw him strike 20 boundaries, reaching his hundred in just 69 balls.

Among these impressive strokes was a particularly memorable boundary in the 18th over. The 31-year-old unleashed a powerful pull shot off Archer, whose delivery was clocked at 90mph, sending the ball sailing over the bowler’s head for six. Head later described the shot humorously as an ‘accident.’

“I accidentally hit Jofra back over his head for six at one point and just walked back to mark my crease thinking: ‘Oh my god, why did I just do that?'” Head recounted to Triple M Cricket on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne, who shared the crease with Head, was in disbelief at the spectacle unfolding before him.

Travis Head (pictured) has hilariously revealed that he didn’t want to get on the wrong side of England’s fast bowlers Jofra Archer or Mark Wood, noting that the pair can bowl over 90mph

Head claims he ‘accidentally’ smashed Archer for six in the second innings, adding that after scoring the boundary he walked back to his crease thinking: ‘Why did I do that?’ 

‘Marnus came down and was like: “I know you’re trying to act cool, but that’s unbelievable”,’ Head continued.

‘And he’s yelling and screaming, and he’s hoo-hah-ing.

‘And I’m like: “Mate, get back to the other end, at any moment they can put a hole through me, they bowl 150 clicks! I don’t want to get on the wrong side of these blokes, I just want to go about my business”,’ Head joked.

Head played Bazball at its own game during the first Test, with the Aussie star going on to be eventually dismissed by Brydon Carse for 123 runs.

One big question for Australia ahead of the Brisbane Test on December 4 is whether Usman Khawaja will lead the side out to bat, with Head perhaps the man to replace him.

Calls have been made for the 38-year-old to stand down from the Test squad, after he was deemed ineligible to open in Perth, having spent too much time off the pitch due to stiffness in his back.

The question was put to Head whether he sees himself as a long-time replacement for Khawaja alongside emerging star Jake Weatherald or Matt Renshaw.

‘I think it’s not about me it’s about what the team needs,’ Head said.

Head (pictured) would slog the ball back over Archer’s head in the 18th over of Australia’s second innings as he went on to score the second-fastest century by an Australian in the Ashes 

Questions are mounting over whether Head could replace Usman Khawaja (pictured) and open in the upcoming second Test at The Gabba

‘We haven’t had those conversations at all yet. We’ve had three or four days off and we go to Brisbane on Sunday so I think it will become a bit more real where we go forward with it.

‘I’ve been open in the background about where I’ve stood with it and being completely respectful to Ussie [Khawaja] as well, he’s done an incredible job.’

‘There’s some touchy subjects in it all but we’ll see where we land. But ultimately we’ve just got to think about the team.’

England, meanwhile, face issues of their own, with many former greats, including Ian Botham, calling for the Bazballers to take a more measured approach to cricket down under after their batters collapsed during the second innings.

Much discourse has surrounded England’s decision this week not to travel to Canberra ahead of the Brisbane Test to play in a day-night warm-up match against the Prime Minister’s XI.

Brendon McCullum claimed his side chose to withhold sending some of their batters out to the Capital Territory in a bid to keep the team together after the Perth defeat. The decision, though, has caught the ire of former skipper Michael Vaughan, who branded it ‘amateurish’.

‘I can see why they haven’t gone, but I can see why the average punter or the ex-player can see it differently,’ Head said when pressed on the matter.

‘You can either get in those moments and change the script and say, ‘We’re going to train’, or you can double down and go: “Nup, we’ve had this planned out, we know exactly how we want to go for five Tests, this team’s been together for four years, and we’re committed to the cause, and we know what we need to do”.’

Head also lumped praise on England skipper Ben Stokes (pictured) branding the captain a true competitor

Head isn’t paying too much attention to Bazball but says he admires the tourists’ defiance and how they have continued to double down on their aggressive brand of cricket, even in the wake of widespread criticism

While Head says he’s not paying too much attention to Bazball, he respects England’s decision to ‘double down’ on the aggressive brand of play and not heed the warnings of some greats to play more conservatively.

‘You’ve got to respect the fact they’ve been a bloody good team, and I reckon they’ve got their plans, they’ve had their plans set, and they’re doubling down. Credit to them, they’re going to live by the sword or die by the sword, and we’ll see where we’re at in Brisbane.’

The South Australian also has plenty of respect for England’s skipper Ben Stokes, hailing the all-rounder as a true competitor.

‘He is one of the most clutch players I’ve played against,’ Head said. ‘If you talk about big moments, Ben Stokes is up there, and he’s the captain and setting the tone.

‘He’s the one bloke I can’t get anything out of, other than sometimes a sledge here and there towards me. But he’s a competitive beast.’