19-year-old opener Sam Konstantas is feeling confident ahead of his potential Test debut in Melbourne, but he doesn’t want to add extra pressure by watching too many videos of Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling. Ahead of facing one of the best bowlers in the world for the first time, Konstantas expressed that he’s ready for the challenge.
Australia selected Konstantas for the last two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after Nathan McSweeney’s failure in the first three matches. His 107 runs from 97 balls against India’s Prime Minister’s XI three weeks ago played a key role in earning his spot in the squad. In that match, he faced bowlers like Mohammad Siraj, Aakash Deep, and Ravindra Jadeja, although Bumrah was not playing.
Bumrah has been Australia’s biggest headache in the current series. In the first three Tests, the 31-year-old pacer has taken 21 wickets at an average of 10.90, seven more than the second-best bowler. Ten of those wickets were from Australia’s top three batters, including McSweeney, Usman Khawaja, and Marnus Labuschagne. The only top-six Australian batter he hasn’t dismissed so far is Mitchell Marsh.
If Konstantas gets a chance to play in the Melbourne Test starting Thursday, his biggest challenge will be facing Bumrah. However, he isn’t overthinking the situation. “I won’t watch too many videos of Bumrah. I’ve already seen him plenty. I’m excited about the challenge and facing him. Our analysts usually provide insights on each bowler, and I might have read that,” he said.
Konstantas created a buzz in October when he scored two centuries in a Sheffield Shield match, becoming the youngest since Ricky Ponting in 1993 to do so. He also scored 73 runs in an unofficial Test against India ‘A’, and later made a century for Prime Minister’s XI against India. That century has boosted his confidence.
“I’m very confident. I’ve worked hard, trusting my ability. I’m treating this as just another match and trying to keep things simple. I’ve always dreamed of this moment since I was a child—playing in the Baggy Green. If I get the chance, it will be a huge honor,” he said.
After playing a Big Bash match on Saturday, Konstantas will head to Melbourne on Sunday and join the Test squad for his first training session on Monday.
