Sam Konstas landed in Barbados all smiles, soaking up the beaches and rum punch, only to be greeted by a pair of low scores once the series began. The 19-year-old left the island with just 3 and 5 to his name, both dismissals courtesy of Shamar Joseph’s wicked in-duckers. Next stop Grenada, and the noise around Australia’s new opener is getting louder.
It is harsh, no doubt, to judge someone three Tests into a career. The Kensington Oval pitch was spicy, the Dukes ball misbehaved and Joseph bowled as quickly as anyone in recent memory here. Still, Australia – desperate to settle on a long-term partner for Usman Khawaja after David Warner’s retirement – have put their faith in Konstas and do not want more musical chairs at the top.
Those who watched his debut hundred against India at the MCG last Boxing Day know the kid has talent. Four swishes and misses at Jasprit Bumrah in the opening over could have finished him there and then; instead the fireworks that followed shifted the mood of the entire series. Yet that knock now sits uncomfortably, almost a burden rather than a badge. A recent interview revealed Konstas deleted the highlights clip from his phone on the suggestion of batting coach Tahmid Islam, a bid to focus on the here-and-now rather than the scoop-and-ramp show he produced for the Prime Minister’s XI last summer.
Konstas is still figuring out who he wants to be at the crease. Last season’s back-to-back Sheffield Shield tons, full of clipped drives that drew inevitable Ricky Ponting comparisons, came at a brisk tempo. Barbados showed neither that fluency nor the stubborn defence selectors hoped for, so the debate rages on.
Andrew McDonald, speaking the morning after Australia’s 159-run win, did not hide from the issue.
“The players are the harshest critics really when all is said and done,” head coach Andrew McDonald told reporters the day after Australia’s 159-run victory. “We’ve had some conversations around potentially if you’re in that situation again what does that look like and that’s what experience is. It’s learning from previous events and trying to implement a way through that.”
He doubled down on the tempo point.
“It felt like he was stuck at times and he was over-aggressive and then [he] underplayed. It’s really that balance and tempo. He’s got that there and that’s a step up to Test cricket. He’s got a really good partner down the other end [in Usman Khawaja] that over time, I think, will play out. That’s all we ask for – a bit of patience and time with a young player coming into Test cricket.”
Selector George Bailey and captain Pat Cummins echoed similar themes privately, but for now the plan is simple: Konstas plays the remaining two Tests unless injury intervenes. A gritty fifty on another lively surface would calm matters before the Ashes; fail again and the clamour for a recall of Marcus Harris, or even a left-field pick like Jake Fraser-McGurk, will resume.
England’s analysts are watching too. Joseph’s in-ducker has been clipped and filed away by the ECB data team, and you can bet the likes of Chris Woakes and Ollie Robinson will aim for the same pad-thumping line come July. That may feel unfair on a teenager, but Test cricket rarely hands out grace periods.
For now, McDonald’s plea for “a bit of patience” is reasonable. Konstas has 17 first-class matches behind him, a tiny sample in modern terms, and he is learning on the job against bowling attacks smelling fresh meat. The upside – a dynamic, fearless opener for the next decade – is worth a fortnight of nerves if he can translate junior promise into senior runs.
Grenada starts on Thursday. Another green tinge has been promised, though the curator hinted at slightly less pace than Barbados. Konstas spent the rest day hitting throw-downs in the hotel car park, hardly textbook preparation but a glimpse of youthful restlessness. Whether the extra reps unravel Joseph’s late swing we will find out soon enough.
Australia have bigger headaches – Cameron Green’s skittish footwork, a middle order still adjusting to Travis Head’s aggressive blueprint – yet Konstas remains the headline because opening batters attract the glare. In an Ashes year, every innings is dissected twice.
Patience, as McDonald says, is the ask. Runs, naturally, are the answer.
