BGT: Konstas’ innings against Western Australia convinced me he’s ready for Tests, says Lawson

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Former Australia pacer Geoff Lawson said Sam Konstas’ knock of 88 against Western Australia, coming under overcast skies on a greenish Sydney pitch in this year’s Sheffield Shield, convinced him that the young opener is ready to play Tests for Australia. On Friday, Konstas’ was given a call-up to Australia Test team for the fourth and fifth Tests against India at the expense of Nathan McSweeney. Konstas shot into limelight by scoring twin centuries against South Australia in the opening round of Sheffield Shield.

Those twin centuries also earned him the distinction of being the first teenager to achieve this feat in the Sheffield Shield since the legendary Ricky Ponting did so in 1993. Before the knock of 88, Konstas also hit a century against India in the pink-ball practice game at Canberra, apart from making 73 not out against India A at Melbourne.

“As the young Greek opening pair of Konstas and Blake Nikitaras strode to the crease, the SCG lights were needed and Morris gouged his bowling mark, touched his toes at the Paddington end and prepared to launch some rockets.”

“Konstas dodged, weaved, watched the ball go past and then produced a cover drive of Greg Chappell class. Back-foot drive, front-foot drive, all timing and placement without the physical heft of so many contemporary batsmen. This continued until the umpires called a halt with NSW no wickets down.”

“Yes, there were a few swishes, a few plays and misses, and next morning – on his way to 88 – the attempted reverse ramp off a 150 km/h good-length ball outside off stump sent coach Greg Shipperd into apoplexy, but the gloomy evening battle lit by the Morris raw flame at the SCG convinced me that this teenager was ready for the big time – right now,” wrote Lawson in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday.

If selected for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne starting on December 26, Konstas would become the fourth-youngest men’s Test debutant in Australia’s history and the youngest player to enter the longer format since current captain Pat Cummins debuted in 2011.

Lawson also talked about how the Australian cricket circuit had earmarked Konstas’ as one to watch out for. “Konstas knows the game. He has an instinct for the game that is rare in one so raw; an old head on young shoulders that continues into of his mental battles against quality bowling.”

“At the conclusion of the Australia under-19 tour to England in 2023, assistant coach Dan Christian crossed my path and said, very clearly (as I had just become a NSW selector), “This kid Konstas, he’s 17, but just put him in the Shield team and leave him there. He’s going to be so good!”

“The head coach of that team, Anthony Clark, had seen Sam come up through the NSW pathways system and had made a similar observation already that he was ‘one of the special ones’,” he concluded.