Barbados: Form in the cricket nets is a bit like investment advice: past performance is not necessarily a reliable indicator of future returns.
But in the case of Sam Konstas, there was a moment on Sunday in Barbados that hinted the teenage sensation might not be in ideal touch ahead of the first Test against the West Indies.
Part-timer Marnus Labuschagne found Konstas’ outside edge with a medium pace outswinger at Australia’s first net session since a surprise defeat to South Africa in the World Test Championship final.
Were his feet not moving properly? Was his balance slightly off? Were his hands not in the right position?
Who could blame Konstas? He hasn’t played a first-class match in more than three months. He’s played just four since the first week of January, averaging 22.63 from eight innings.
Sam Konstas is bowled by West Indies’ Shamar Joseph on day two of the first cricket Test match at Kensington Stadium in Bridgetown, Barbados.Credit: AP
Scores of three and five at Kensington Oval against a fired-up Shamar Joseph on Wednesday and Thursday rounded out a difficult week for the man touted as Australian cricket’s next golden boy.
This latest examination – 38 balls across a painstaking 53 minutes – was the antithesis of his fireworks at the MCG, when he ramped Jasprit Bumrah with a bravado not seen since David Warner belted Dale Steyn around the same ground on his T20 debut.
Right now, Konstas looks caught between identities. He knows he can switch gears and take bowlers on, but he also wants to prove he can cut it as a classical opener.
With a diagonal bat plane – a red flag for batting purists – he nearly chopped his first delivery onto his stumps.
Seven balls in, it was as though a little voice in his head told him to charge Joseph.
It had worked before. Why not again?
The result was a rushed, unbalanced slash to third slip – and a let-off. It wasn’t pretty.
“I don’t know why he’s skipped down the wicket there,” said former Australian Test player Bryce McGain in commentary for SEN.
Two balls later, Konstas’ front foot didn’t reach the pitch of the ball.
He was stuck on the crease. Another edge. Another drop. Two chances in three balls.
When things aren’t going your way, the dressing room starts to feel safer than the harsh glare of the middle.
“Somebody made a joke that Konstas … has already batted in the Grenada Test match with two dropped catches,” West Indies coach Darren Sammy said after play.
Then came the sledge.
“We can’t do that. Good teams make you pay. It hasn’t been costly.”
Konstas tried to reset, to find rhythm and the middle of the bat.
But again, he seemed unsure whether defence or counter-attack would relieve the pressure.
With Joseph landing them on a string, Konstas threw everything at one – and missed. He threw his head back in frustration, clearly frustrated at not being able to execute the exact shot he cracked through the covers on Boxing Day to the boundary.
The fact opening partner Usman Khawaja came down the pitch twice to speak to Konstas said plenty about the youngster’s headspace. It was leadership from a senior player who has made a career of dictating tempo in red-ball cricket.
Konstas’ innings ended the way it started – messy – as he dragged a Joseph delivery back onto his stumps.
There’s no doubt Konstas can have a bright future. But was that mesmerising MCG knock a breakout performance or fool’s gold?
If he gets four more innings in the Caribbean, law of averages suggests he’ll post a score.
Selectors will persist with the 19-year-old. There’s no question he’ll play in Grenada. They were adamant he was ready on debut – a contrast to many before him who waited far longer in the Sheffield Shield.
If Konstas was divisive after Melbourne, expect the conversation to only grow louder now.
Even if the runs don’t come in the Caribbean, he’ll need consistent scores for NSW to walk out at Perth for the Ashes opener.
Right now, he appears stuck in two minds: the flair that worked at the MCG, and the measured method that mentors believe he’ll need long-term.
Opposition quicks have the blueprint already: angle it in, hit the top of off, target the pads – and let the doubts creep in. The West Indies even revealed they’d studied footage of Konstas before the series. It worked a charm.
Australian cricket fans just want to see something – anything – that confirms Konstas is the real deal.
The foundations are there. But the longer he goes without a meaty Test innings, the more the critics will linger.
With this Test almost certain to finish early, it’ll be back to the nets for Konstas.
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