WATCH: Travis Head Pulls Out Unique ‘Right In The Pocket’ Celebration After Dismissing Rishabh Pant

Last Updated:December 30, 2024, 10:52 IST

Head would gesture towards the crowd with a finger plunging into his other hand that was curled up, denoting that Pant fell right into the trap that Australia set out to remove him.

Travis Head’s provocative celebration after dismissing Rishabh Pant (X)

Travis Head continues to haunt India one way or the other, as the swashbuckling batter struck with the ball, removing Rishabh Pant to pull out a unique celebration on the final day of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

Shortly after play began on day five, Jasprit Bumrah completed his 13th five-wicket haul in Test cricket as Australia were bundled for 234, setting India a target of 340 to win.

Despite the urgency, India’s top-order, with the exception of Yashasvi Jaiswal would fail to fire yet again, as the likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli all would crumble, leaving India at 33-3 at lunch.

The onus would then fall on southpaws Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant to revive India’s innings, and the duo would go on to notch a stabilising 88-run partnership as they played their way through the second session with patience and composure.

With Australia needing a brekthrough, skipper Pat Cummins would pass the ball to Travis Head for a roll of the arm, in the aims of targetting Pant.

Head would repay Cummins’ faith back shortly, tempting Pant to pull one towards long-on, where Mitchell Marsh would be lurking to take the catch, prompting Head to pull off a unique celebration as the Indian left the crease.

Head would gesture towards the crowd with a finger plunging into his other hand that was curled up, denoting that Pant fell right into the trap that Australia set out to remove him.

Pant’s removal would incite a domino effect, as both Ravindra Jadeja and first-innings centurion Nitish KumarReddy both fell shortly after for scores of 2 and 1 respectively, as India would fall to 130-6, seemingly heading towards defeat.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, who notched a gruelling fifty of his own, stands as India’s best hope as the opener, alongside Wahsington Sundar, will attempt to hopefully play out the last session patiently, and help the visitors secure a draw to keep the series tied heading into the final Test.