Sam Konstas is one of the contenders to open the batting for Australia in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. Here’s all you need to know about the prodigy.
Australia need an opener to partner Usman Khawaja for their home Test series against India, starting November 22. The spot was left vacant by David Warner, who retired from international cricket a few months ago. With Steve Smith confirmed to move back to the middle order and Cameron Green out of the summer due to a back injury, Konstas, 19, is one of the top contenders to fill the position, confirmed chief selector George Bailey.
He was recently named in the Australia A squad for their unofficial Tests against India, making the series an opportunity for him to push his case.
Konstas was part of Australia's successful under-19 World Cup campaign this year. He scored 191 runs, including a century against West Indies, rescuing his side from 28-2. Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson took him under his wing as his mentor.
The youngster shot to fame last month after scoring twin hundreds for New South Wales in a Sheffield Shield game, becoming the youngest to achieve the feat since Ricky Ponting in 1993. After a quiet start to his first-class career where he averaged 25.83 in six innings with the best of 57, he turned things around with 152 and 105 against South Australia. The promising innings brought Konstas into the reckoning of a maiden Test call-up.
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Konstas is highly rated in Australia
NSW head coach Greg Shipperd has heaped lavish praise on the talented rookie, saying he has the potential to play for Australia.
"It was all heading in the right direction as he finished off last season. He was a breath of fresh air around the group in terms of his energy and his commitment to his craft. He trains beautifully… loves batting, loves scoring. He doesn’t overplay situations; he found a really nice balance early on in his career
"If it’s a drive, it’s a drive or if it’s a cut, it’s a cut, he’s not really fazed with balls around that head area. It was terrific for him. He had some games before the Shield match where he made a couple of mental mistakes, but he really readjusted that quickly and got in the contest against South Australia and was phenomenal," Shipperd said to SEN 1170 Mornings show.
He added: "I’ve seen young players come through over my journey of 50 years and he’s a special one. We’re looking forward to him playing well for us and I believe he is an Australian player in waiting. He has developed this process of his own across his career with a lot of good support around him. Shane Watson is someone he talks to quite often around that level of cricket. He is hungry for runs. He loves batting."
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Watson himself had endorsed Konstas to make his Test debut against India: "The whole situation is, in my mind, a perfect storm to be able to give him an opportunity to be able to play Test cricket. For me, this is an opportune time, knowing that the bowlers are ageing, there's Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja as a starting point who are ageing.
"From the first moment that I met Sam, the thing that jumped out at me the most was his desperate desire to be the best that he possibly could be. The first time I had a net session with him as a 16-year-old, he hits the ball differently; the shot options that he has available to him and his defence. But then knowing how diligently he has been working on his mental game as well, it absolutely does not surprise me to see what he's able to do," Watson told AAP.
A lukewarm outing in his maiden Australia A stint
However, his audition for the series didn’t go as planned, with him scoring a duck and a 33-ball 16 in the unofficial Test. On both occasions, he was undone by Mukesh Kumar. In the first innings, he was caught behind while trying to drive on the up, while in the second he was castled by the fast bowler.
The good news for Konstas is that Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft, both of whom are also in contention for the opener’s spot and have played for Australia before, did not catch the eye either. However, Nathan McSweeney did, top-scoring for Australia A in both innings with 39 & 88*.
Irrespective of whether Konstas makes his debut against India, he is a player to watch out for in the future.
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