Travis Head goes berserk, Australia shatter multiple T20I world records to chase 155 in 58 balls vs Scotland

Jake Fraser-McGurk, rewarded for his stunning show in Big Bash League and the IPL earlier this year, failed to impress on his debut as he was dismissed for a three-ball duck. However, fellow opener Head combined with captain Mitchell Marsh to stitch a 113-run stand inside the powerplay to lay the perfect foundation for the chase, before Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis combined to close out the game in just 9.4 overs.

Australia chased down the 155-run target with 62 balls remaining. This remarkable feat surpassed the previous record of 43 balls, set by Romania in 2021 when they chased down 158 runs against Greece in just 12.5 overs. Australia’s impressive performance sets a new benchmark for successful chases in men’s T20Is.

En route to the world record chase, Australia recorded the second-highest-ever powerplay score in T20I history, smashing 113 runs, which comprised 14 consecutive boundaries.

Highest PowerPlay score in T20

1. Romania 116/0 in 5.4 overs vs Serbia, 2021

1) Australia 113/1 vs Scotland, 2024

2) South Africa 102/0 vs West Indies, 2023

3) West Indies 98/4 vs Sri Lanka, 2021

4) West Indies 93/0 vs Ireland, 2020

5) West Indies 92/1 vs Afghanistan, 2024

Travis Head scripts T20I world record

Head, adjudged as the Player of the Match, played the central role in the record and in the chase for Australia, hit an unbelievable 25-ball 80, laced with 12 boundaries and five sixes, at a strike rate of 320. 73 of those runs came in the first six overs of the match, which is the highest score by a batter inside the powerplay in T20I cricket, surpassing the previous record of a 25-ball 67 from Ireland’s Paul Stirling in 2020.

Head’s 16 boundaries inside the powerplay is also the most by any batter in men’s T20Is, surpassing Colin Munro’s world record of 14 against the West Indies in 2018.

“Nice way to get underway, we loved our time here so far. I was a bit nervous, but nice to get some runs with the captain today. It has been a nice period for the last couple of years, really enjoying the environment and a few of us that have been around for a while and also loving the atmosphere with quite a few youngsters coming in,” he said in the post-match presentation.

The second T20I of the series will take place on September 6 at the same venue.