Sam Konstas managed only 50 runs across six innings in the series.
After their defeat to South Africa in the World Test Championship 2025 final, Australia bounced back strongly by winning the Test series 3-0 in the West Indies. It was a solid start to the new cycle, but the batting performance left some concerns.
Across six innings in the series, Australia crossed the 300-run mark only once. Many experts feel this was mainly due to the challenging pitches in the Caribbean, which made life difficult for most batters.
Ricky Ponting has shared who he wants to see as Australia’s top three batters for the Ashes series starting in November 2025. Speaking on The ICC Review, the former captain picked Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas and Cameron Green. Ponting believes these three should stay at the top and be supported going forward.
“The (batters) that they’re talking about the last couple of weeks in particular, have been (Sam) Konstas and (Usman) Khawaja, and then there was some talk about Cameron Green, if he was a long term No.3 three or not,” Ponting said.
“I think with where they’re at, I think the Ashes line-up is going to be like it is right now. I think that’s what they’re going to be starting with, and you keep your fingers crossed and hope that those guys can get the job done at the start,” he added.
Many people had doubts about Green playing at number three, but he performed well in the third Test against the West Indies. He scored 46 runs in the first innings and 42 runs in the second. He batted with patience on tough pitches, and his effort may have answered some of the critics.
“(Green’s) second innings in the West Indies (in the last Test) might have just put some of that to bed. As tough as those conditions were to bat for as long as he did in trying conditions he might have silenced a few of those critics,” the former captain said.
Sam Konstas has had a rough beginning to his Test career. He impressed during his debut against India but has struggled since then. In the West Indies series, he scored just 50 runs in six innings, and his average has dropped to 16.30 after 10 Test innings.
Despite the numbers, Ponting is not too concerned. He pointed out that the pitches in the Caribbean were very difficult for batting, and even senior players found it hard to score runs. He also explained that Konstas was initially rested for the Sri Lanka tour to manage his workload, but ended up playing in the West Indies under tougher conditions.
“They left him out there hoping to bring him in in the Caribbean where things might have been a little bit easier. Well, it’s been the opposite. It’s been the exact opposite of that,” Ponting added.
“As it turned out, the attack and the wickets in Sri Lanka were good batting wickets and a really poor attack. And the wickets that we’ve got in the Caribbean have been hard for everybody to bat on,” he observed.
Ponting said that it’s normal for young batters like Sam Konstas, who are still adjusting to international cricket, to face criticism. People often point out flaws in their technique while they’re still learning and gaining experience at the top level.
“Sam’s always going to have, like every batter that is finding their way at international level, people sit back and try and pick holes in your technique when you’re trying to find your own way at international level,” he said.
He made it clear that he does not want to be too critical of Konstas right now, especially because the West Indies series was tough for every batter, not just him.
“I’m not going to make any really harsh judgment calls on Sam yet because it was hard work for every batter in that series, there’s no doubt about it,” Ponting added.
Ponting also feels that the team should continue supporting Konstas. He believes the best way forward is to give him time and help him improve in any areas where he might be struggling, instead of giving up on him too soon.
“(I) think they have to stick with him for a period of time and help him work through these deficiencies that he might have or might not have,” he concluded.
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