Now Reading: Travis Head wins second straight Allan Border Medal by one vote
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Travis Head wins second straight Allan Border Medal by one vote
Travis Head has won his second consecutive Allan Border Medal, Australia's top men's cricket award, by a single vote over Alex Carey. Head polled 153 votes, with Mitchell Starc third on 150.…
The Story in Brief
Travis Head has won his second consecutive Allan Border Medal, Australia's top men's cricket award, by a single vote over Alex Carey. Head polled 153 votes, with Mitchell Starc third on 150. The voting period ran from January 29, 2025 to January 8, 2026.
Head is only the fifth player to win back-to-back Allan Border Medals, after Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, David Warner and Shane Watson. His standout performances included a 123 in Perth, a 170 in Adelaide, and a 163 in the Sydney Ashes Test after his promotion to opener. Mitchell Starc won the Shane Warne Test Player of the Year award for 31 Ashes wickets. Annabel Sutherland had earlier claimed the Belinda Clark Award in February.
The Indian Opinion
Head's back-to-back medals confirm his rare form, but he himself says he is not a 'true opening batter'. Australian cricket traditionally reveres technically correct openers, yet Head has succeeded with aggression. The narratives about conventional batting will be tested over the next 12 months as Australia play 20 Tests across Bangladesh, South Africa, India and England. Will Head's approach hold in India's turning tracks where he has opened before but never consistently? The 2027 Ashes series will be the real verdict.
Sources (5): sports.ndtv.com, rediff.com, sports.ndtv.com (2), timesofindia.indiatimes.com, newindianexpress.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 5 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 5 sources.
