[PICTURES/VIDEOS] Sam Konstas: A talented Australian batter

[Rana]

Get him in the PSL !!

Tell you what, one guy who can bring him to PSL is Shane Watson. He has mentored him at junior level, so he maybe can get him in and preferably to Quetta Gladiators if he stays on as their coach.

That being said, signing up to PSL might not really be advised by managers who look to make big money out of players that they know can earn big money in the IPL for 5-10 years.

 

[Rana]

He should replace the hack Fraser in white ball as well.

Australia may have found the next great all format opener.

Not at all.

McGurk is a different type of attacking player. His technique to hit the ball is much better. Guy doesn’t need to move all around the crease before the ball is released to elevate and launch.

McGurk is still more in shape. Especially when it comes to taking down spin. Konstas will improve with time.

Try not to rush to conclusions.

 

[sweep_shot]

He should replace the hack Fraser in white ball as well.

Australia may have found the next great all format opener.

I think both Fraser and Konstas may become regular players in Aussie team soon.

 

[topspin]

Actually I found it…

Meet Sam Konstas’ Bangladeshi coach Tahmid Islam

Based in Sydney, Tahmid Islam has been coaching Konstas since his school days at Cranbrook School and has played a pivotal role in shaping the young batter’s technique and mindset.

www.tbsnews.net

Tahmid Islam. Congratulations to him! This is a big win for amateur coaches working overseas! A lot of these guys don’t get the recognition they deserve for the work they do at grassroots level

Great find bro. This should serve a lesson for PCB that it's not all about the big names. If anything, most of them have been a flop.

 

[BouncerGuy]

He has just played 1 inning and people already hyped him to the moon like they did with JFM and look what happened. Mcsweeney is another case.

Just give him some time. 5-6 games before we start making him viv Richards. relax

 

[BouncerGuy]

Boy has become famous

https://twitter.com/x/status/1872515729423225135

 

[Vikram1989]

Guy seems to be one hell of an attention seeker.

 

[jamie smith]

his innings was a fluke,he still has to improve his game massively

 

[mominsaigol]

He has just played 1 inning and people already hyped him to the moon like they did with JFM and look what happened. Mcsweeney is another case.

Just give him some time. 5-6 games before we start making him viv Richards. relax

Did mcgurk + sweeney performan in internationals vs bumrah?

You don't need to be a genuis to figure out that sam is > those 2.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Did mcgurk + sweeney performan in internationals vs bumrah?

You don't need to be a genuis to figure out that sam is > those 2.

Yeah yeah hype him all you can... 1 knock is not enough for me to judge any player.

BTW I am not saying he is bad or good than other.

 

[mominsaigol]

Yeah yeah hype him all you can... 1 knock is not enough for me to judge any player.

BTW I am not saying he is bad or good than other.

I'm saying sam is > Mcsweeny + Mcgurk. It's not like Mcsweeny and mcgurk are Sachin + Lara level talents and my claim is absurd.

Whether sam succeeds or not is irrelevant. Anyone can tell that he is 100% > those 2. Besides he's an allformat batter since his quick attacking playstyle + unorthodox strokes is suited to all formats.

Wheras Mcsweeny is only a test + odi batter and mcgurk a t20 batter who can maybe slotted in for odi.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Matthew Hayden shared a heartfelt Instagram post recalling Andrew Symonds’s maiden Test century from December 27, 2006, and compared it to debutant Sam Konstas's fearless performance in the ongoing 4th Test against India.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[KingLiton]

how’s that going?

On another note, kohli is only good for confrontations now. Bat isn’t doing the talking no more.

Kid is no match for

 

[mominsaigol]

This kid is talented. Needs to be persisted with. He's a 19 year old gem and aus cannot let him go

 

[gazza619]

I fail to understand the hype based on just one 50.

The same people who are calling him the next big thing will be calling for his head if he fails in a few games.

Long way to go for the kid.

 

[mominsaigol]

I fail to understand the hype based on just one 50.

The same people who are calling him the next big thing will be calling for his head if he fails in a few games.

Long way to go for the kid.

No one will call for his head. He's lucky to be Australian and not pakistani aka morons who are obsessed with Babar and rizwan and want the heads of anyone else.

Konstas will get support. Any 19 year old who has the guts to just attack bumrah without fear is one who Australia will cherish .

 

[Major]

I fail to understand the hype based on just one 50.

The same people who are calling him the next big thing will be calling for his head if he fails in a few games.

Long way to go for the kid.

he really did play some bad shots and got lucky there with the ramp. He missed it a few times.

So he needs to calm down abit, because while people celebrate it when it gets connected, but as soon as you start failing people go after you.

Just like how Rishab Pant is being treated. He started off his international career with same shots and than yesterday Gavaskar was calling him stupid on air.

 

[gazza619]

No one will call for his head. He's lucky to be Australian and not pakistani aka morons who are obsessed with Babar and rizwan and want the heads of anyone else.

Konstas will get support. Any 19 year old who has the guts to just attack bumrah without fear is one who Australia will cherish .

It doesn’t matter where he is from or what skin colour is or if he does Sajda.
We are only interested in his results.

We need to be mindful that Australia has plenty of talent. This kid can easily get lost in the system if luck doesnt go his way with those high risk strokes.

 

[sweep_shot]

He did his job in his debut Test. Well done.

Australia should select him in ODI also.

 

[pillionrider]

Konstas is the kind of player that fans can enjoy, irrespective of their nationality. Like a Maxwell. But I feel kind of sad for him that he is still so innocent and a bit naïve when it comes to fans and the reception he's been getting. He just doesn't seem to understand how fickle and unforgiving they can be, should he get on a run of flops. Something his game will encounter.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Konstas is the kind of player that fans can enjoy, irrespective of their nationality. Like a Maxwell. But I feel kind of sad for him that he is still so innocent and a bit naïve when it comes to fans and the reception he's been getting. He just doesn't seem to understand how fickle and unforgiving they can be, should he get on a run of flops. Something his game will encounter.

Bro. He's 19.

 

[FearlessRoar]

While talking to a local media outlet, Mike Hussey suggested that certain reactions from players always come back to bite them at some point:

"It always comes back to bite you at some stage. I wonder if Sam Konstas is back in the dressing rooms thinking, 'I wish I charged him'. It just makes the battle between the two nations all the more spicy."

"You don't see a lot of theatrics from Bumrah, but when Sam Konstas was dismissed, he thought, 'Yep, I'm here as well."

 

[BouncerGuy]

McDonald's Konstas admission as fast bowlers' fitness examined for Sydney

As attention moves to Sydney, Australia coach Andrew McDonald rates his debutant's performance and hints little change for final Test.

Australia men's head coach Andrew McDonald admits even he was surprised by a brash first impression from Sam Konstas during his Test debut at the MCG.

Taking on India pace ace Jasprit Bumrah early on Boxing Day with an array of non-conventional shots, 19-year-old Konstas' 60 (65) delivered an early blow for the hosts, who enjoyed most of the enthralling five-day encounter in front of their opposition.

Laying a platform for the rest of the batting order, Australia powered to a first innings total of 474, in no small part helping the hosts to a 184-run victory four days later.

After the win, McDonald confessed that not even he had pictured what was to come after his captain won the toss and elected to bat on the first morning.

"I suppose the conversation was how early was he going to get into those proactive shots, and twelfth ball did surprise me a little bit," McDonald admitted, having only crossed paths with Konstas in passing in the build-up to the summer, preparing for the Test match in the MCG nets and in brief team meetings.

“We knew what we were getting into as selectors. You follow that journey. Did we get a little bit more than what we expected? No doubt about that.

“His ability to put pressure on, and I think people talk about heavy duty runs in the first innings, and he put the pressure back on and allowed our middle order to get to work.

"And Steve Smith capitalised on that and Marnus (Labuschagne) was good, so it set the tone. There’s no doubt about that. I thought that combination of top looked like something going forward that could work.”

The only player under the age of 30 in the winning XI, the right-hander was able to feed off the likes of fellow opener Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith and skipper Pat Cummins, who too debuted as a teen for Australia, against South Africa back in 2011.

Looking at Konstas' experience from a coach's point of view, the lessons from the match bode well for an even sharper rise as an international cricketer boasting such a memorable first taste in Australian whites.

“There’s no doubt when you’re talking about a team that’s sort of going through transition, if you want to frame it that way, the ability to immerse yourself with those senior players through that period is incredibly important.

“So he’s going to be a better player by being in the environment (and around) the conversations that happen, the nuances to the game. I think that’s incredibly important on that journey to learning.

Looking to the rest of the playing stock for Sydney, the rigours of the first four Border-Gavaskar Tests and the quick turnaround for the January 3 start in Sydney means a stern examination on the fitness of the group, particularly for the side's fast bowling stocks.

While McDonald noted tabs will be kept on Mitchell Starc, the left-armer's finish to the Test match suggests he will be ready for a home SCG visit.

“Clearly bowling last (in what) was pretty attritional game, (which is) something that we’re not used to in the last few years, we’ll see how the bodies are,” he said.

“Clearly Starc is carrying something of some description. We’ll assess that. But other than that, it looks as though we got through pretty well unscathed but (it is a) short turnaround and recovery is important, and we’ll assess what the team looks like in Sydney based upon the surface, as we always do.”

“Anytime you get through the game, it’s always a good indicator that you’re a chance at the next game. It didn’t stop him."

“Clearly there was a little bit of discomfort early on in spells, but once he got warm, it seemed as though he was pretty free. His ball speeds were good."

ICC