Travis Head has a reputation for changing the tempo of a match within a handful of overs. But on a fiery Perth surface in the opening Test of the 2025-26 Ashes series, he unleashed arguably the most destructive knock of his career. Facing a tricky target of 205 after Australia were rattled by Ben Stokes’ spell earlier in the match, Head walked out to open and simply tore England apart.

The left-hander smashed 123 runs from just 83 balls, peppering the boundaries with 16 fours and four sixes, and turned what could have been a tense chase into a statement victory. Australia romped home by eight wickets inside two days, a rare instance of Ashes carnage finishing before the weekend truly began.

Along the way, Head not only thrilled the Perth crowd but also rewrote several chapters of cricket’s record books. Here are the five milestone achievements from his unforgettable century.

1 Second-fastest century in Ashes history

Head needed only 69 balls to reach his hundred, placing him among the absolute best in 147 years of Ashes rivalry. The only name ahead of him? The legendary Adam Gilchrist, who smashed a 57-ball hundred at the very same venue back in 2006.

Gilchrist ended unbeaten on 102 from 59 deliveries that day, a knock that still lives in Ashes folklore. Head’s innings now joins that elite stratosphere, highlighting the modern Australian approach of fearless, counterattacking cricket when the pressure is on.

2 Fastest fourth-innings hundred in Test cricket

Chasing in Test matches is a mental test, the scoreboard pressure, fielders around the bat, every mistake magnified. But Head made the fourth innings look like a Saturday afternoon net session.

He broke a 122-year-old record, surpassing Gilbert Jessop, whose 76-ball hundred at The Oval in 1902 had stood untouched for generations. Head’s strike-first intent turned a competitive chase into a sprint and left England with no time to react or reset their plans.

3 Joint-fastest Test hundred by an opening batter

Head’s attacking instincts have transformed him into a dynamic Test opener. With his 69-ball ton, he now shares the fastest century by a Test opener with another Australian power-hitter: David Warner - 69 balls vs India, Perth, 2012

Warner went big in that innings with 180. Head matched the speed and nearly matched the punch, proof that Perth continues to be a playground for Aussie stroke makers.

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4 Highest strike rate ever in a successful Test run chase

Head played like he was chasing a T20 total, not one set by arch-rivals England in the Ashes. His 123 off 83 balls came at a staggering 148.19 strike rate, now the all-time highest while successfully chasing in Tests.

He overtook England’s Jonny Bairstow, who set the previous record with a 147.82 strike rate while hunting down 299 against New Zealand in 2022. This was pure domination, England bowled short, full, wide, straight… but nothing slowed him down.

5 Joint third-fastest century by an Australian in Test cricket

Australia has produced some of the most aggressive batters in Test history - Gilchrist, Warner, Hayden… and now Head comfortably sits among those giants.

Fastest hundreds by Australians in Tests:

1. Adam Gilchrist - 57 balls (2006 vs England)
2. JM Gregory - 67 balls (1921 vs South Africa)
3. Travis Head - 69 balls (2025 vs England)
   David Warner - 69 balls (2012 vs India)

For Head to be tied on that list shows just how much of a game-breaker he has become.

A knock that defines a modern Ashes era

This innings wasn’t just about records, it was a statement:

• England had sniffed a famous win after Stokes’ fiery spell
• The pitch was lively and the match finely poised
• Head turned pressure into fireworks

In less than 29 overs, Australia sealed an eight-wicket win in a Test that lasted barely two days, a rarity in Ashes history.

The Travis Head effect

Head has made a habit of producing match-turning centuries at high tempo, his Ashes hundred at Brisbane in 2021 being another example. But this one felt definitive, a declaration that in this rivalry, Australia have a new tone-setter. If this is how the series has begun, England’s bowlers could be in for a long, or perhaps very short, few weeks.