Australia captain Steve Smith in awe as Travis Head produces 'out of this world' Ashes century

For Smith, the innings wasn't just match-winning - it was one of the finest he had ever witnessed.

"It's right up there with knocks I've seen from anyone," Smith said. "That innings from Travis Head was out of this world. He played outrageous shots, and even the ones he mistimed still found the gap. It was just one of those days where everything went his way."

Head, promoted to open in place of the injured Usman Khawaja after volunteering for the role, responded with a 69-ball hundred - the third-fastest by an Australian in Test cricket. Smith revealed the conversation that sparked it: "He said, 'I want to do it,' and I told him, 'Go for your life.' And then he goes out and does that."

The captain highlighted how Head dismantled England's short-ball tactics. "He was basically toying with them," Smith said, still in disbelief hours later.

While a fiery spell from Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc triggered England's collapse to 164 earlier in the day, Smith made it clear the story belonged to Head. "Wow," he said simply. "That was incredible to witness."