NEWS
Follow UsYoung Sam Konstas seemed to have impressed Australia head coach Andrew McDonald as the former Victoria player said that the New South Wales (NSW) man playing only six first-class games and being 19-year-old would not be a hindrance if he is the right fit to be picked as an opener for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against India.
"I think we're picking the best team for here and now, and if that does encompass a younger player, then we'll head down that direction," McDonald told ABC's Offsiders.
"Sam Konstas, on the back of his first Shield match, and the way he went about his work in the second innings at the MCG against Scott Boland, has made some noise,” added the 43-year-old.
In six first-class matches, two of which he played in the Sheffield Shield 2024-25, Konstas has 452 runs at an average of 45.7. With two centuries and a fifty, he has already shown that there is a hunger for big innings in the former Australian U-19 captain.
But the question is should he be exposed to a lethal Indian pace bowling attack in his first series itself? Answering this, McDonald said, “If they're ready, they're ready in our mind, and if Sam's capable and we feel as though he is capable of filling that spot, I don't think that the opponent should come into the equation.
"You've got to start against someone, and you shouldn't be holding back and protecting someone from a potential opponent, India is a strong opponent, but also, the advantage of a player playing in Australia for their first Test summer is that the conditions are familiar. What better place to start than in your backyard."
Having played six first-class games and being in line for two more against India A, starting October 31 in McKay, he is well set to showcase whether he would fit into the scheme of things or not.
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