Australia opening batter Travis Head achieved a significant milestone on Day 2 (Monday, January 5) of the fifth and final Test of the Ashes 2025-26 against England. The left-handed batter completed 500 runs in the ongoing Test series during Australia’s first innings at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney.
England were dismissed for 384 on the second day of the Test. Joe Root, who resumed on 72 not out, scored his 41st Test hundred and guided England to their best total of the series. The right-handed batter scored 160 runs off 242 balls. Michael Neser was the pick of the bowlers for Australia with four wickets.
Travis Head Becomes First Batter to Reach 500 Runs in Ashes 2025-26 Series
Australia made a solid start in reply, with Travis Head and Jake Weatherald adding 50 runs for the first wicket. The opening stand ended when Weatherald was trapped lbw by Ben Stokes for 21, leaving Australia at 57 for 1.
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Head continued to bat with confidence and reached his fifty in quick time. The left-handed batter brought up the milestone off 55 balls with a crisp cover drive. Batting on 62, he later took a single to complete 500 runs for the series, becoming the first batter to reach the mark in the ongoing Ashes.
Joe Root is second on the leading run-scorers list with 394 runs at an average of 49.25, followed by Harry Brook, who has scored 316 runs at an average of 39.50. Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey has also impressed, scoring 291 runs in six innings at an average of 48.50.
Travis Head Makes Ashes History With Explosive 500-Run Series
Head has reached a major career milestone by scoring 500 runs in a Test series for the first time. He achieved the feat in the ongoing Ashes, becoming the first Australian or English batter to cross 500 runs in the contest while scoring at a strike rate above 75.
Head also became the first player since Steven Smith in 2019 to register 500-plus runs in an Ashes series. The southpaw has shown remarkable consistency and an attacking approach throughout the series, standing out at a time when bowlers have dominated on challenging surfaces for batters.
Most Runs by Left-Hand Batter for Australia in The Ashes Series (Since 2000):
570 – Michael Hussey, Home, 2010-11
523 – David Warner, Home, 2013-14
501* – Travis Head, Home, 2025-26*
Travis Head’s Blitz Puts Australia in Command at Stumps
Australia finished the day on 166 for 2, reducing England’s first-innings lead to 218 runs. Travis Head led the charge with an aggressive, unbeaten knock.
Head punished loose bowling and set the tempo early. He added 57 runs for the first wicket with Jake Weatherald before building a quick and fluent partnership with Marnus Labuschagne. The pair put on 105 runs for the second wicket, keeping the scoreboard moving at pace.
Labuschagne played several elegant strokes before Ben Stokes broke the stand late in the day. Head remained unbeaten on 91 off 87 balls, hitting 15 boundaries. Michael Neser came in as nightwatchman and survived until stumps as light drizzle ended play, leaving Australia in a strong position.
Also read: Sunil Gavaskar destroys England over poor Ashes 2025-26 show: “Their bats have only edges or holes”