Jake Weatherald’s introduction to Test cricket has been bumpy, yet Travis Head is convinced his fellow left-hander will find his feet sooner rather than later.
Weatherald, 31, came into the Ashes on the back of 18 prolific months for Tasmania and Australia A. The reward was a debut at Perth, but eight innings later he is averaging 20.85 with scores of 0, 23, 72, 17*, 18, 1, 10 and 5. Five of those visits produced double-figures; none has yet become a hundred.
“I think he’s a good enough cricketer for international cricket,” Head said on Sunday. “I think he showed a lot of glimpses over his first four Tests, and it’s not always going to go your way. I think there’s a lot of guys that have looked like they’ve been on the pump with the bat who are some of the best in our generation. So it can be tough way to start your international career. But look, I think he’s a good enough player to play international cricket.”
It is hard to disagree that the conditions have been testing. Each match so far has offered new-ball movement, both in the air and off the seam. Even established names have worn a few on the body. Weatherald, operating without the luxury of a settling period, has also managed to discover unusually creative methods of dismissal.
Three times he has been lbw to full, straight deliveries bowled at high pace. One of those would have been overturned on review — Head encouraged him to challenge, Weatherald declined. Twice he has been cramped by throat-high bouncers, top-edging half-pulls that ballooned to waiting fielders. At the MCG he feathered a leg-side half-volley to the keeper, while Ben Stokes produced a snorter that jagged back late to trim the off-stump when Weatherald offered no shot. Given the amount of seam movement throughout a match that finished inside two days, it felt harsh to lay blame there.
Head, who has shared the crease with Weatherald in seven of his eight knocks, keeps returning to the 72 his partner made in Brisbane — a counter-attacking effort that helped Australia build a lead in the only match they have won so far.
“I felt like he set the ball up really well,” Head said. “The runs haven’t been there in the last couple of Tests, but he played a crucial innings for us in Brisbane. So over a series, looking for moments in time that could win you a series and he was able to do that in Brisbane.”
Selection chair George Bailey offered similar backing earlier in the tour. “We’ve picked Jake because he’s earned his spot through weight of runs,” Bailey said on the eve of the Perth Test. “Opening at this level is never straightforward, but we’re keen to give him a fair run.”
Australia’s desire to be patient is understandable. Over the past 14 Tests before this series, Usman Khawaja had provided the only century by an Australian opener. Seven different players have been tried in that role, none nailing it down. Head himself, usually a middle-order engine, moved up to open in the first Test after Matt Renshaw broke a finger in practice. He responded with 142 and later 98, underlining both his versatility and the national side’s fluid top-order plans.
That flexibility eases some pressure on Weatherald, yet the looming SCG finale could bring fresh scrutiny if another low score appears next to his name. Statistics favour retaining him: numbers from the Sheffield Shield show a batter reaching fifty within his first eight Test innings usually kicks on if allowed a second summer. But public debate grows quickly when Ashes results are on the line.
Former opener Chris Rogers, now coaching Victoria, urged calm during commentary. “He’s looked comfortable until about 30 balls, which tells you the game isn’t too quick for him,” Rogers noted on radio. “Tighten one or two technical points — mainly the front-pad alignment — and he’ll cash in.”
Technically, Weatherald’s set-up is built around a narrow stance and minimal trigger. That helps him drive on-side but can leave the front pad in the way when full balls straighten late. Coaches describe it as a small-target method: high reward, high risk. With the Dukes ball moving more than in home Shield cricket, fine margins are exposed early.
Head, though, sees a player already trusted in the dressing-room. “He’s busy, talks cricket really well, unpacks what he faces,” the stand-in opener said. “The rest of us think he belongs.”
Australia trained lightly in Sydney on Monday. Weatherald spent 40 minutes with batting coach Michael Di Venuto, working on the line of his front foot against a side-arm. A single session guarantees nothing, yet it signalled purposeful adjustment rather than panic.
England, meanwhile, are wary of a breakout innings. “One score can flip a series,” bowling coach Neil Kromkamp said. “We’ve felt his intent when he gets to 20-odd, so our job is to keep making him start again.”
Whatever happens at the SCG, Head believes the bigger picture is positive. The modern game, with its shifting roles and formats, rarely grants a gentle introduction. Weatherald is learning in full view, under Ashes lights, against a skilful attack.
Australia’s management talk about process over outcome; selectors talk about sample size. The opener himself, to his credit, fronted up after the MCG defeat. “I’m annoyed I haven’t kicked on,” Weatherald admitted. “But I back my game. The conversations with Trav and the coaches have been honest, which is what you want.”
Honesty, patience and a touch of luck — three ingredients every Test opener needs. The first two are already in place. If the third arrives at Sydney, Australia might find they have finally solved a long-running puzzle at the top of the order.
