NEWS
Follow UsFormer Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, who has mentored Sam Konstas, was surprised by the 19-year-old’s blockbuster debut in the fourth Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
In the first innings, Konstas rattled Jasprit and Co. with stunning strokeplay, hitting ramps, reverse scoops, pulls, and powerful drives through the cover region. The young opener even took the attack to arguably the best bowler of the generation, Bumrah.
Konstas hit him for 14 runs in an over and followed it up with another 18-run over - two of Bumrah’s three most expensive overs in Test cricket. Konstas eventually finished with a score of 60 off 65, studded with six fours and two maximums.
"I understood what his game plan was, what plan A was anyway. So when plan B sort of kicked in quite quickly, within a couple of overs, that was a little surprising. But the one thing that we've always talked about is trusting his gut,” Watson said as part of the ICC Champions Trophy tour at the SCG, reported ESPNcricinfo.
Talking about his experience of mentoring Konstas, Watson said: “My experience of dealing and working with Sam has been a very quiet, reserved personality. (He's) a very deep thinker and certainly not an extrovert. But obviously what we saw in the Test match is that he is a showman. And he certainly rose to the occasion, as in he wasn't overawed.
"I know through my experience of debuting…you just put a lot of pressure on yourself because it's your dream to be able to represent your country, wear the baggy green. But for Sam, it's superhuman in a way that he sort of just didn't have any of that at all.
“You can see it wasn't put on. That's just obviously who he is. And again, I hadn't seen that side of him. It just shows that he's built for this stage where most people it takes a bit of time to warm up to sort of get into that. Whereas Sam, he obviously just thrives on that."
Konstas, however, faced the harsh reality of Test cricket in the second innings, with Bumrah knocking him over for just 8 runs with a superb inswinger. Watson said Konstas is technically very correct and has all the ingredients to make adjustments to succeed in red-ball cricket.
"Look it's going to be a different challenge for him now. Because he's shown what his plan B is. And we already saw in that second innings the field positions certainly changed. It's going to be a good test of his evolution. To be able to continue to work through how he can take the game on against the best bowlers in the world. But he's certainly got all the gears and all the skills to be able to make those adjustments quickly.
"He is technically very correct and waits for loose balls. But he's also got the other gears to be able to hit the ball down the ground. But when they do have third man fine and fine leg fine, the ramp shot is probably out. But you know what? I thought the ramp shot wasn't going to come out in the first couple of overs, and it did. Sam will just trust what he feels and go with it. And that's something very special that he taps into."
