Australia batter Travis Head etched his name into the record books with his century on Day 2 (Saturday, November 22) of the first Ashes 2025-26 Test against England at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The left-handed batter registered the third-fastest century by an Australian in the longest format of the game.
Head was forced to open the innings with Usman Khawaja unable to start. The southpaw made the most of the opportunity while chasing a target of 204 in the final innings. He added a 75-run partnership with Jake Weatherald for the first wicket. Weatherald was dismissed after scoring 23, but Head didn’t stop attacking.
Travis Head Reaches His Century Off 69 Balls in Perth Test
Travis Head brought up a stunning century in the 22nd over, reaching the milestone with a simple single off Gus Atkinson. The left-hander dominated from the moment he walked out, counterattacking on a challenging Perth surface.
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Head reached the triple-digit mark in just 69 balls, registering his 10th career century. He removed his helmet and acknowledged the roaring crowd. He delivered when Australia needed him most, and it will be remembered as one of his finest knocks.
100 off just 69 balls! Travis Head, what an innings! #Ashes | #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/oiV1QEneYp
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 22, 2025
Travis Head Smashes Second Fastest Century in Ashes History
Travis Head recorded the third-quickest century by an Australian in the format, with only Adam Gilchrist (57 balls) and Jack Gregory (67 balls) having reached the milestone in fewer deliveries.
He also registered the second-fastest century in Ashes history. Gilchrist smashed a 57-ball hundred against England in 2006. Notably, Head’s knock was the sixth-fastest hundred in the format. Brendon McCullum holds the record for the fastest century in the format.
Fastest 100s in The Ashes (by balls):
| Balls | Player | Opponent | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | Adam Gilchrist | England | Perth | 2006 |
| 69 | Travis Head | England | Perth | 2025* |
| 76 | Gilbert Jessop | Australia | The Oval | 1902 |
| 85 | Travis Head | England | Brisbane | 2021 |
Fastest 100s in Tests (By Balls):
| Balls | Player | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | Brendon McCullum | Australia | 2016 |
| 56 | Vivian Richards | England | 1986 |
| 56 | Misbah ul Haq | Australia | 2014 |
| 57 | Adam Gilchrist | England | 2006 |
| 67 | Jack Gregory | South Africa | 1921 |
| 69 | Shivnarine Chanderpaul | Australia | 2003 |
| 69 | David Warner | India | 2012 |
| 69 | Travis Head | England | 2025* |
You Can Hear the Noise, Just a Brilliant Innings – Glenn McGrath
Legendary Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath stated that Travis Head delivered under pressure and even added that Usman Khawaja’s injury might have worked in Australia’s favour by creating the opportunity for such a performance.
“You can hear the noise, just a brilliant innings. That’s a guy who’s gone out there in prime form and backed himself. He’s shown that he doesn’t mind the pressure. Maybe it was a blessing for Australia that Usman Khawaja went out with a bad back,” McGrath said as quoted by BBC Test Match Special.
Head’s spectacular innings ended when he top-edged a pull shot off Brydon Carse, with Ollie Pope taking a well-judged catch running in from the deep. Marnus Labuschagne and several England players acknowledged the brilliance of his knock.
The Perth crowd rose to their feet as Head walked off. He scored 123 runs off 83 balls, including 16 fours and four sixes, completely shifting the momentum in Australia’s favour.
Also read: Mitchell Starc destroys Joe Root, Ben Stokes in both innings of Ashes opener, bags 10-fer in Perth
