fastest century in Test cricket: Aus vs Eng 2025: Travis Head smashes fastest fourth-innings hundred as Australia win two-day Ashes Test

Travis Head turned the match around with an explosive fourth-innings performance, scoring a match-winning 123 from just 83 balls. He reached his century in 69 deliveries, becoming the fastest batter to score a hundred in the fourth innings of a Test match. This broke the long-standing record held by England’s Gilbert Jessop, who achieved a 76-ball century in the 1902 Ashes.

Head’s innings came at a strike rate of 148.19, the highest in Test history during a successful run chase. This surpassed Jonny Bairstow’s record strike rate of 147.82, set against New Zealand in 2022.

Players with the highest strike rate in successful Test run chases:

Head also became the first batter to score two Ashes centuries in under 85 balls.

‘Feels special’, says Travis Head

Following the victory, Head said the moment felt emotional and memorable. He credited England’s bowling but stated Australia could not afford to lose grip on the match.

“Wow, what a couple of days. It’s been unbelievable. The emotions are pretty high. They (England) were seriously good out there yesterday and started to drag it back, so we knew we couldn’t afford to let the game slip. To be able to contribute the way I did — yeah, it feels pretty special,” he said.

Record crowd in Perth

Perth Stadium witnessed its biggest-ever Test attendance as the opening Ashes match unfolded. A crowd of 49,983 turned up on Day 2, pushing the total attendance to 101,514 and breaking the earlier venue record of 96,463 set during the Test against India last year. The atmosphere intensified as Australia went 1–0 up in the five-match series, with home fans celebrating a commanding start and the emphatic victory overshadowed only by the noise and spectacle in the stands.