Australia's cricketers have erupted in celebration after clinching the Ashes series on home soil in emphatic fashion, wrapping up the contest inside just 11 days. The party, fittingly, was led by hometown hero Travis Head in Adelaide following an 82-run victory in the third Test at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
Hometown Hero Head Leads the Festivities
The planning for the celebrations began even before the final wicket fell, with Travis Head admitting he had made arrangements for the squad. "I may have planned a few things last night for the boys over the next two days that I was sort of going, 'oh have I called it a bit early?'" Head told Channel 7 after the match. "Thankfully Starcy's made sure that I made the right decisions."
Once the post-match formalities concluded, the entire Australian team and support staff gathered on the Adelaide Oval pitch for a poignant rendition of John Williamson's 'True Blue'. The song held special significance, having been performed in a moving tribute to the victims of the Bondi terror attack before the Test began.
Wicketkeeper Alex Carey, now the custodian of the team song, then led the traditional victory anthem 'Under the Southern Cross'. The players stood arm-in-arm before the champagne and beers were sprayed in a raucous, joyful scene.
Ronball Shirts and a Dig at Broad's Comments
Adding a layer of cheeky humour to the festivities, Head had special 'Ronball' t-shirts made for the squad. The term, a playful dig at England's much-hyped 'Bazball' era, first appeared in 2022 but was proudly revived for the celebration. While most players wore the shirts, the coaching staff, including Andrew McDonald, largely remained in their official attire.
The players also took the opportunity to respond to pre-series comments from England's Stuart Broad, who had labelled this Australian side the worst since 2010. Head posted a photo with skipper Pat Cummins captioned "Is it 2010 yet?"
Batter Marnus Labuschagne echoed the sentiment. "We have to say being called the worst Australian team in 15 years ... it's nice to be sitting where we are, 3-0 up," he said on ABC. "The job's not done yet, we want to make sure it's 5-0."
A satisfied Pat Cummins beamed when reminded of Broad's remark and the current scoreline. "To win it in straight sets, it doesn't get much better than that," the captain said.
Cummins' Classy Invitation to Legends of the Game
In a standout gesture of respect for the past, Pat Cummins invited a host of former Australian greats into the dressing room to share in the triumph. A who's who of cricket legends, including Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, and Matthew Hayden, were spotted among the celebrations.
"Pat sent a message up here that he wanted to invite us down," former fast bowler Jason Gillespie told Code Sports. "As ex-players you never want to go down to the dressing room unless you're invited... But to receive an invitation was lovely. They're a great bunch of guys."
Cummins expressed immense pride in his squad's resilience throughout the series, which was marred by injuries to key players. Josh Hazlewood didn't play a Test, Cummins himself missed the first two, Steve Smith was absent for the third, and Usman Khawaja and Nathan Lyon were sidelined for the second Test.
"We always talk about you need a full squad to win an Ashes series," Cummins stated. "That's one of the things I'm most proud about with this group. There's been huge disruption... And this group's just amazing at just cracking on."
With the series secured, the celebrations in Adelaide continued long into the night, marking a famous victory forged through depth, skill, and a powerful team spirit.
