Konstas made a statement century in his maiden innings in India.
An India tour couldn’t have been more timely for Australia prodigy Sam Konstas, who has seen the highs and lows of Test cricket in a short five-Test career already. When he arrived on Indian shores, only runs were going to help him, irrespective of his unorthodox technique and shot selection or his chirpy nature.
As it turned out, Konstas made a statement century in his maiden innings in India, scoring 109 runs in 144 deliveries, including 10 boundaries and three maximums. From then on, he remained on 27 in the second innings of the same fixture before registering scores of 49 & 3 in the following unofficial Test.
“I’ve grown a lot from those two or three weeks. It’s obviously a good reward to have, especially with all my hard training. The Caribbean was probably the best thing that happened to me. I learnt a lot about myself,” said Konstas to The Sydney Morning Herald.
On the West Indies tour, he endured a beyond-horrible phase, scoring 50 runs at an abysmal average of 8.33 in six innings, including a best of 25, on treacherous batting surfaces. That made many question whether he was really as good as initially perceived, but the India tour must have mitigated those doubts.
Sam Konstas was under immense pressure after the West Indies rubber, with his spot for a high-profile Ashes 2025 in jeopardy. More than those low scores, his unconventional technique was a topic of debate, with questions about whether he could find ways to remain among the runs on similar surfaces in Australia.
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While that still remains to be seen, the India tour has definitely helped him regain that confidence and assure selectors of his abilities. Now, his next challenge will be to start the Sheffield Shield on a high note and build on his performance in India while featuring for New South Wales.
Performances in the domestic competition will not only bolster his selection chances but also help him get in good nick before the Ashes next month. Konstas’ spot might look certain as of now, but several quality openers will be on show in the domestic competition and will be eager to push their case for the first round of cricket’s oldest rivalry.
But one thing is certain: Konstas understands himself and his game better than before, and he has worked on playing slightly more conventional cricket, for which there’s still room in the longest format. It’s all about keeping improving and making the most of every chance from here on, for runs are the only thing that eventually matter.
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