Australian left-hand batter Travis Head remains optimistic about his return to the Australian side against the Netherlands on Wednesday. As an injured left hand, which he carried against South Africa in September, halted his cricketing action for more than a month, Head eyes come back to the ground after a much-needed recovery period. Meanwhile, Australia, cautious about his hand injury, have given Head time for a full batting session against the bowlers after only recently arriving in India. Talking to ESPNcricinfo, Head was optimistic about playing against the Netherlands but Australia might plan him to play on Saturday against New Zealand. Head also talked about his recovery period and his practice as he hit the nets on Saturday.  Pakistan vs Afghanistan ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Preview: Likely Playing XIs, Key Players, H2H and Other Things You Need To Know About PAK vs AFG CWC Match in Chennai.

"I had a really good hit yesterday, I think each session is getting better but again we've got to be mindful of the fact that I think it was five weeks [since the injury] a couple of days ago, and I sort of got told [around] that six-week mark,” Head told ESPNcricinfo.

"I'm optimistic. Obviously, it's important to understand the process. Not trying to rush it too much because that can set us back. But it feels good. Catching hasn't been an issue so far. The progression over the next couple of days is to field and see where I'm at. "Everything keeps going well, but again, it's [about] how I woke up this morning. It's how I can potentially back up tomorrow and train," he said.

However, Head finds himself confident with some stiffness on the injured hand which is yet to recover. He also seemed struggling with his strength as he faced a tennis ball rather than a hard white ball.

"I don't hit massive sixes anyway, so maybe I'll just keep them on the carpet a little bit more," Head said. "I've been doing some catching but not at full tilt yet. So that's another thing we need to tick off over the next few days. Still, a few things I need to tick off but I'm optimistic. We'll see what happens. If it continues at this rate, who knows? Keep doing things day-by-day to hopefully give yourself the best chance." Fans Hold Placard Reading ‘Baap Ka Dada Ka Mahi Bhai Ke Run Out Ka Sabka Badla Lega Tera Chiku’ During IND vs NZ CWC 2023 Match in Dharamsala, Pic Goes Viral!.

Australia's selectors took a huge gamble by keeping Head in the 15-man squad despite the fact he was unavailable for the early part of the tournament with chair George Bailey stating on Saturday that Head would slot straight back in at the top of the order despite the sublime form of Mitchell Marsh. Australia will be playing against the Netherlands on Wednesday in New Delhi.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 22, 2023 05:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).