Why India and Pakistan fans are fighting over bat Travis Head used in World Test Championship

The cricket bat 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 scored his first ever century away from home soil to put India to the sword at The Oval in England on Wednesday in promising signs for the Aussies ahead of The Ashes.

However Pakistan cricket supporters are claiming their own champion Babar Azam contributed to the rise of Head in the WTC final.

Vision has emerged of Azam appearing to gift Head a massive cricket bat in the sheds during the 2021/22 tour of Pakistan.

Now jubilant Pakistan supporters are saying that Head used the same bat with new stickers to belt India around the ground at The Oval.

‘Babar gifted his bat to Travis Head in 2021 and the rest is history,’ one fan boasted.

‘Babar Azam is a true gem and his performance deserves all the praise and attention. He is definitely one to watch out for,’ another commented on a video of Azam handing over the bat. 

‘Only Babar Azam can make them do this for him by his performance,’ commented another.

‘That’s why Babar is GOAT of world cricket,’ another fan wrote.

Pakistani fans gloating over the bat did not go down well with Indian cricket supporters.

The two nations have a long history of conflict outside of cricket and fierce rivalries on the pitch, so Indian supporters were quick to fire back at their long-time rivals who mocked them for being smashed in the first innings of the WTC final. 

‘Yes Pakistan is playing WTC final vs Australia. Babar’s captaincy and batting took them to the final,’ one sarcastic fan wrote with a series of crying emojis. 

‘But never Pakistan will come WTC final they will only watch India playing in the final and crying,’ another posted.

‘How many centuries or fifties does Babar have [at The] Oval,’ another posted with a series of laughing emojis, referring to the fact Azam has never played at the famous London ground.

Head’s name is added to the honours board at The Oval after scoring 163 runs in the WTC final with what has become a very controversial bat 

Pakistan and Indian cricket fans love to fight over who is better, Babar Azam (pictured) or Indian champion Virat Kohli

There were also countless memes and sledges in Hindi and Urdu between the old rivals.

The India Post reported that it could not be confirmed if Head’s bat is the same one he was gifted by the Pakistan star.

‘Meanwhile, a picture has surfaced on social media. Babar Azam is seen in the picture where it is being claimed that Babar has gifted a bat to Head and with this bat he scored a century against India,’ they reported.

‘Looking at the picture, it seems that this bat was given to him by Babar, but it is difficult to confirm through the picture that it is the same bat. This viral picture has created panic on social media.’