World Test Championship Final: Travis Head burns India with rapid ...

If Travis Head hadn’t come of age across the summer, he certainly has now, clattering a blistering ton to burn India on day one of the World Test Championship Final at The Oval.

Brought to the crease by the magnificent wicket of Marnus Labuschagne, beaten all ends up by Mohammed Shami on 26, Head was brutal as he dismembered the Indian bowlers with a rousing counter-attack.

In almost trade-mark style, the aggressive South Australian got off the mark with a boundary and then another just to make sure he was off the dreaded duck.

In a sign of his touch, he matched Steve Smith for quality of strokes before passing him double time, pouring on 60 of 94 runs scored in the second session.

Smith was a mere supporting act as Australia’s No.5 moved up the gears.

The square boundaries were peppered with cuts and flicks as deft as his drives were devastating.

He rocketed through the 80s with two uppercuts for a six and four before the ultimate ‘I’m in charge’ move of manufacturing a single to keep the strike.

India finally attempted a short ball ploy as he moved to within four of triple figures, but the damage had been done.

He swished at an uppercut and missed before a leading edge fell short of the fine leg to get him to 99.

Shami stuck with the short ball as Head played it safe, but he eventually decided enough was enough, pulling over the infield to reach his first century, from 106 deliveries, against India and on foreign soil.

His teammates were on their feet in the rooms.

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Australia could have gone into a tailspin after Labuschagne and David Warner fell just six minutes either side of Lunch.

But Head quickly had the Indians reeling and rolling through plans like nicotine gum.

And with Smith the perfect foil at the other end, Head never looked perturbed as Australia approached 250.