Michael Vaughan says Australia should consider Sam Konstas debut against India in Sydney

As pressure grows on Australia’s faltering top-order, a former Test captain has earmarked the perfect time for wunderkind Sam Konstas to be unleashed in Test cricket. HAVE YOUR SAY

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan has backed Sam Konstas to make his Test debut at the SCG if Australia’s openers fail to fire.

Konstas stunned fans after smashing a 20-ball half-century in the Thunder’s dramatic win against the Strikers.

It was the fastest 50 in Sydney Thunder history, and the latest in a string of big performances which has fans and experts salivating over the prospect of the teenager playing Test cricket.

Konstas has two centuries and three 50s in 18 innings in first class cricket, where he averages 42.23.

Vaughan backed selectors for leaving Konstas out of the Test squad for this series, but believes a call-up could come as soon as the New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground should Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney fail with the bat in Melbourne.

Konstas made runs against India playing for the Prime Minister’s XI.

“I think they’ve done the right thing leaving him out of this series,” Vaughan said on Fox Cricket.

“He’s a wonderful talent, he has a huge future. If there’s a few failures between now and Sydney, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make his debut at his home venue, the SCG.

“He can play, his ceiling is so high.

“Throwing in a player too young, can you damage a player … well what could go wrong? He could get a few low scores, he can always come back.

“I would think he can play at the SCG.”

Vaughan said it was Konstas’s skill, movements and technique which made him stand apart.

“There’s always a want to talk about what could go wrong with a young player,” Vaughan said.

“I look at Sam Konstas and they have to get him in quite quickly. He has got the ceiling to be world, world class.

“You look at the movements, you look at the skill, the bag of tricks – you might see those shots in Australian Test match cricket because the modern era plays it completely different.”

McSweeney has scored 68 runs in five Test innings so far, at an average of 17 – which is boosted by an unbeaten 10 in the short, second innings chase at Adelaide.

Sam Konstas celebrates his fifty on BBL debut.

He has been dismissed by India’s star paceman Jasprit Bumrah in every other innings, with a top score of 39, also at Adelaide, after playing his way into the Test side on the back of strong performances in the Sheffield Shield and against India A.

Australian great Brett Lee, who played 76 Tests and 221 ODIs for Australia, said Konstas had produced across the various forms of the game, with his big scores in the Sheffield Shield, against India A and his swashbuckling half-century in the BBL impressing.

Fastest fifty in Thunder history ON DEBUT 😱

Sam Konstas brings up the milestone off 20 balls! #BBL14pic.twitter.com/Wq6xmQH78j

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 17, 2024

But Lee urged caution, backing selectors to stick with McSweeney for the entire series.

“McSweeney’s been picked because he’s believed to be Australia’s next best,” Lee said.

“You can’t pick him for three games then get rid of him if he doesn’t have a performance.

“You have to put faith in the young players coming through.

“McSweeney’s been on fire for the past couple of years in Sheffield Shield cricket, they’ve picked him, they have to give him the opportunity and I think he has to play all five Test matches and see where he gets to.”