Why Indian and Pakistani fans are squabbling over the rumored bat Australian star Travis Head used to score a stunning century in the Test World Championship final
- Head smashed 163 runs to put India to the sword
- There was an online debate about the bat he used
- Pakistani cricket fans claim part of the credit
The cricket bat that Travis Head used to plunder 163 runs in the World Test Championship final has gone viral with old foes India and Pakistan bickering over its origins.
Head marked his first century away from home to put India to the sword at The Oval in England on Wednesday in promising signs for the Aussies ahead of The Ashes.
However, Pakistani cricket supporters claim their own champion, Babar Azam, was instrumental in Head’s rise to the WTC Finals.
A vision emerged of Azam appearing to gift Head a massive cricket bat in the sheds during the 2021/22 Pakistan tour.
Now jubilant Pakistani fans say Head used the same bat with new stickers to belt India around the floor at The Oval.
“Babar gifted his bat to Travis Head in 2021 and the rest is history,” boasted one fan.
‘Babar Azam is a real gem and his performance deserves all the praise and attention. He’s definitely one to watch,’ another commented on a video of Azam handing over the bat.
“Only Babar Azam can make them do this for him through his performance,” another commented.
“That’s why Babar is the GOAT of world cricket,” another fan wrote.
The bat that Travis Head used to crush 163 of the Indian attack (pictured) was said to have been given to him by Pakistani captain Babar Azam
Pakistani fans rejoicing at the bat have not been well received by Indian cricket fans.
The two nations have a long history of conflict outside of cricket and fierce on-field rivalries, so Indian fans were quick to hit back at their longtime rivals who mocked them for being crushed in the early innings of the WTC final.
“Yes, Pakistan is playing the WTC final against Australia. Babar’s captain and stick got them to the final,’ a sarcastic fan wrote with a series of crying emojis.
“But Pakistan will never come to the WTC finals, they will only see India play in the finals and cry,” posted another.
“How many centuries or fifty years has Babar [at The] Oval,” posted another with a series of laughing emojis, referring to the fact that Azam has never played on the famous London ground.
Head’s name is added to The Oval honors roll after scoring 163 runs in the WTC Finals with what has become a highly controversial bat
Pakistani and Indian cricket fans love to fight over who is better, Babar Azam (pictured) or Indian champion Virat Kohli
There were also countless Hindi and Urdu memes and sleds between the old rivals.
The India Post reported that it could not be confirmed if Head’s bat is the same as the one given to him by the Pakistani star.
“Meanwhile, a photo surfaced on social media. Babar Azam is seen in the photo where it is claimed that Babar gifted Head a bat and with this bat he scored a century against India,” they reported.
‘Looking at the photo, it looks like this bat was given to him by Babar, but it’s hard to confirm through the photo that it’s the same bat. This viral image has caused panic on social networks.
