Sam Konstas impresses with Nathan Lyon act in fight for World Test Championship final squad
Sam Konstas is fighting for his place in Australia’s team for the World Test Championship final against South Africa, and he’s impressed the right people with some simple acts.
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When Sam Konstas got a surprise phone call from Nathan Lyon inviting him to Brisbane for a private net session this month, the young star promptly paid his own way to get there.
It is a heartening portent for the present and future culture of the Australian dressing room that a great of the game would make the offer and that the 19-year-old rookie’s first instinct isn’t to call Cricket Australia or his manager, but to reach into his own pocket for flights and accommodation.
In the professional age where athletes have their every need planned out and taken care of, Lyon’s initiative to go out of his way to nurture a young teammate after 136 Tests and Konstas’ innocent desperation to learn and improve is a refreshing throwback to days’ of old.
Konstas’ intensive net session with Lyon is an insight into the attitude he has taken to trying to win back his place at the top of the order at the home of cricket for the World Test Championship on June 11.
Lyon liked what he saw.
“I thought I’d give Sam a call because the weather has been horrendous here in Sydney and it might be a good idea if Sam came up with me for a day and he could have a hit with Marnus (Labuschagne) and face me for a little bit,” Lyon said when asked to confirm the private session.
“Sam is incredibly talented. He’s still learning his game and that’s a joy to watch and hopefully be a part of in some way or another. Whether it’s passing on a bit of advice or just talking about playing spin bowling, or whatever it might be.
“This is the role of the senior player. The likes of Ponting, Hussey and Haddin did that for me when I was early in my career.
“Sam is willing to learn and he wants to learn and that’s the best thing about Sam. You can see that.”
Following on from his hit out facing Australia’s greatest ever off-spinner, Konstas has been back to Brisbane twice for official Cricket Australia camps with the other members of the WTC Final squad, not over in the IPL.
Australian teammates and coaches have been impressed with Konstas’ willingness to absorb feedback and immerse himself in trying to soak up as much knowledge as he can.
All eyes are on how Australian selectors will formulate its top order to face South Africa for the world crown, with Konstas the man of the future and Cameron Green exploding into form in English County Cricket.
There has been speculation, selectors could defer to experience for the one-off final and shift Marnus Labuschagne up to open (instead of Konstas) as a means of getting Green back into the line-up at No.3.
However, Labuschagne is short on runs and Konstas cannot be dismissed as an option given he was stiff to not be picked on the Test tour of Sri Lanka that followed his mercurial entry into Test cricket, where he made a decisive impact against India at the MCG.
When Konstas returned from his experience on the bench in Sri Lanka only to play rash shots to be dismissed in quick time by Australian quick Scott Boland in a Sheffield Shield game at the SCG, there were concerns raised.
NSW coach Greg Shipperd, Australian coach Andrew McDonald and Konstas’ own mentors Tahmid Islam and Shane Watson all reinforced the same message about the need to know the time and place to play the big shots.
Konstas put his head down and made two solid half centuries in his final two games of the season for NSW.
Lyon feels that Konstas is on the right path even if at 19 years of age, he cannot be the finished article.
“He obviously has the game. We all know he has the skill, that was on display for his first entry into Test cricket. He’s got a big future ahead of him,” Lyon said.
“Hopefully he can keep chipping away and keep working on his game and understanding when he can play those big shots and then when he needs to knuckle down and defend.
“You look at Steve Smith. We all know he’s got all the shots, but he also has the ability to go the long haul. To go the long way around to make a special innings.
“That’s all part of Sam’s journey and it’s exciting to be on. I think he’ll learn a lot on this tour to England and the West Indies just being around all the guys and it’s an exciting time for him.”
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