Who is Sam Konstas, Australia’s potential new debutant for the Boxing Day Test against India

Sam Konstas is a seemingly overnight cricket sensation, but the teen has been building to this moment long before the eyes of a nation turned to him ahead of a looming Boxing Day baptism of fire.

The moment Sam Konstas dreamt of was the sight of two missed calls on his phone.

Australia’s newest Test cricket golden child, in the vein of Phillip Hughes, Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting before him, was at training with the Sydney Thunder on Friday at Cricket NSW headquarters when his life changed forever.

Konstas returned to the dressing room from the nets to two missed calls from national selector George Bailey, before stepping into a private room to make the return call and receive the news that would send tingles down any cricketer’s spine.

Sam Konstas could make his Test debut in Melbourne. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Cricket Australia gave Konstas the option to either play Saturday night’s Sydney Smash Big Bash game, or rest and start getting ready for his date with destiny on Boxing Day – but in a mark of his character, the 19-year-old said there was no way he was going to leave the Thunder teammates short who helped celebrate his Test selection with him. Unfortunately, his return for his efforts was a duck.

“He is full of confidence. We’re just living in the Sammy Konstas world,” proud Thunder veteran Chris Green said.

“We’re not going to see a lot of him in our ranks now. Once he gets his opportunity he’s going to be there for a long, long time in the Australian set-up.

“He’s a kid who has impressed me every time he goes out and steps over the rope to bat. Nothing seems to faze him.

“He’s such a great kid. He has strong family values. His family love him and support him closely.

“It’s a pleasure to have him as a teammate and he is going to go on to great things in the baggy green.”

If Konstas debuts at the MCG aged 19 years 85 days, he will become the youngest opener in Australian cricket history replacing Archie Jackson who was 19y 149d on debut against England in 1929.

Australian selectors want Konstas to bring a proactive approach to scoring against Indian wizard Jasprit Bumrah if he debuts on Boxing Day – even if he was setting the bar for Test cricket pretty high with his explosive 56 off 27 balls for the Thunder in his first match.

Konstas has been dominating in the Sheffield Shield for NSW. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

“I spoke to him briefly. He was pumped to share the news. He was pumped. I think he’s really, really excited for the opportunity and I can tell you for a fact he’s even more excited for tomorrow night as well. He cannot wait to play the Sydney Smash then all eyes on getting into that squad soaking it all up,” Green said.

Konstas quickly left training and headed straight to be with his loved ones, with the family home down in the southern Sydney suburb of Hurstville – in the same street as Hurstville Oval, the home of St George cricket.

The proximity to his first ever field of dreams is not dissimilar to the story of Allan Border, who grew up opposite Mosman Oval, only it’s now called Allan Border Oval.

Hurstville Oval is where Sir Donald Bradman, Bill O’Reilly and Arthur Morris played their club cricket in Sydney, and Konstas also turned out for the famous St George club before switching to neighbouring rivals Sutherland a short distance down King Georges Road and over the Tom Uglys Bridge to the Shire.

When Konstas first burst onto the scene for Australia under 19s and NSW he was described as the best talent out of the state since Michael Clarke.

Konstas has Clarke’s old teammate Shane Watson as his mentor and Watson’s groundbreaking research and writing on the power of harnessing mindfulness and mental control at the crease has been a key piece of the right-hander’s arsenal.

It is something Watson freely admits he struggled with during his career, and he is impressed at Konstas’ mental strength, resilience and concentration.

Konstas, a graduate of Cranbrook school in Sydney’s east, is considered mature beyond his years.

Watson has said he sees a young Clarke in Konstas and had no hesitation in declaring at the start of the summer that his protégé was ready if a call-up from selectors was to come.

And now it has.

Konstas grew up battling his twin brother Johnny in the backyard as well as older brother Billy, who happens to be a physio who has offered a handy service for a sibling going places in a hurry in top level cricket.

Parents Pamela and Jim are both of Greek backgrounds, a heritage Konstas is proud of.

Konstas is the overnight sensation who has been building to this moment long before the eyes of a nation suddenly turned to him ahead of a looming Boxing Day baptism of fire.

Sydney Premier Cricket guru Tom Iceton, who hails from Konstas’ club Sutherland, has assembled a stunning statistical profile of the kid gun who has been churning out centuries since he was 14 years of age.

Iceton is adamant Konstas is the only cricketer to have come through the NSW system ever to achieve the domineering feat of making at least one hundred at every single level of the game he has played.

Konstas playing for St George at Hurstville Oval. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Newscorp Australia

That is now 23 centuries across Sheffield Shield, Australian and NSW under 19s matches, Premier Cricket (all grades from first to fifth grades, Poidevin Gray Shield and AW Green Shield) and most recently, for the Prime Minister’s XI against the touring Indians.

In that innings, up against the Indian quicks, Konstas smashed a blistering 107 off 97 balls in a pink ball attack featuring Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, who he is likely to face on Boxing Day.

Of course Bumrah looms large as his greatest challenge. And one which proved too much for the man he is replacing in the squad, Nathan McSweeney.

But Ponting has compared Konstas’ penchant from making hundreds across all grades to that of the insatiable youngster Phillip Hughes, who was also a prodigious century maker.

Some players just know how to make hundreds and step up to every level they reach, and Australia is hoping Konstas is one of those rare talents.

Originally published as Who is Sam Konstas, Australia’s potential new debutant for the Boxing Day Test against India