Worst in 41 years: Konstas makes another duck in latest nightmare ahead of Ashes

Kingston: A week ago, Australian coach Andrew McDonald leapt to the defence of four-Test rookie Sam Konstas following returns of 3, 5, 25 and 0 in the first two matches against the West Indies.

“Four games, eight innings - it’s probably early for anyone to judge really,” McDonald told reporters, while acknowledging the performances hadn’t been spectacular.

McDonald and fellow selectors will now have 10 Konstas innings – or “data points”, as they like to call them – to assess ahead of Australia’s next Test assignment.

The only problem is that it’s the biggest of the lot: an Ashes series on home soil.

How many do they need? Is 10 enough? Or 20?

The scores do not make for pretty reading, and selectors are the ones accountable – albeit on challenging pitches in the Caribbean. They knew picking Konstas, with such little first-class experience, was a gamble. They’d argue it has been an investment.

For the second summer in a row, Australia does not have a settled opening batting combination.

Sam Konstas.Credit: AP

Konstas’ latest five-ball duck in the second innings of the third Test in Jamaica ended one of the most torrid tours by an Australian opening batsman in recent memory.

Right now, Konstas isn’t just a walking wicket – he’s a walking headline. This was meant to be his coming-of-age tour, the way India 2004 was for Michael Clarke. But all the talk of flat West Indian pitches never materialised.

This has been a bizarre Test, with 15 wickets falling on day two. Australia scraped their way to 6-99 in their second innings, to lead the West Indies by 181 runs after Scott Boland’s three-wicket haul helped the visitors roll the home side for 143. Another three-day match beckons.

Australian wickets fell like flies under lights as Konstas (0), Khawaja (14), Steve Smith (5), Travis Head (16) and Beau Webster (13) perished cheaply. Cam Green’s unbeaten 42 was the equivalent of a hundred on a flat pitch.

The biggest story of the day, however, has already been written five times in this series.

As soon as Konstas edged to Roston Chase in the gully, off Shamar Joseph, there was stunned silence among Australian fans who’d flown to the other side of the world to see a player hailed as a generational talent.

From six innings in the Caribbean, Konstas has made 50 runs at 8.33 – and was dropped three times. He also should have been run out on day one here.

Not since 1984 – when Steve Smith (41 runs at 8.2) and Wayne Phillips (45 runs at 7.5) endured lean runs at the top of the order – has an Australian opener made fewer runs across three Tests in a series.

Only three other openers in Australia’s history - Alec Bannerman, Keith Stackpole and Phillips - have scored fewer runs than Konstas from six innings across three Tests in a series.

The fall from Boxing Day glory has been profound for a cricketer who now looks lost at Test level.

Since that late Christmas present – a sparkling 60 from 65 balls that helped the nation fall in love with Konstas – he has managed 103 Test runs from nine innings at an average of 11.44. His overall Test average is 16.3.

In the Sheffield Shield, Konstas then made scores of 3, 22, 10, 17, 6, 50, 5 and 68. It is there he must now stake his claim to remain at the top of the order for the Ashes.

The prospect of Konstas facing Jofra Archer with the first ball of the Ashes on November 21 – potentially delivered at 155km/h – doesn’t feel like a fair fight.

Within half an hour of Konstas walking off Sabina Park, Cricket Australia released its domestic schedule.

There will be four rounds of Sheffield Shield before the Ashes opener, with Konstas’ NSW side set to play Western Australia (October 4-7), Victoria (October 15-18), Queensland (October 28 to 31) and another match against Victoria at the SCG (November 10 to 13).

For all of Konstas’ struggles, there’s not much those around him can do. His father and brother have been on tour offering support, while his batting coach Tahmid Islam was in Barbados.

Australian skipper Pat Cummins has fostered a strong environment for Konstas and insists he’ll be given time to prosper.

Cummins and McDonald were seated together in the Australian viewing area when Konstas registered his fifth single-digit score from 10 innings. Selector Tony Dodemaide wasn’t far away.

Usman Khawaja also has Konstas to thank. If not for the teenager’s troubles, more heat would be on the 38-year-old. Aside from a score of 47, it’s been a poor series: 117 runs at 19.5, with his latest innings of 14 again unconvincing. That is a conversation for another day.

Test cricket doesn’t always give second chances. Konstas will hope the next four Sheffield Shield matches do.

“You wouldn’t know how he’s been going, if he’s going well or not,” Boland told reporters after play. “He seems pretty level. He’s always training hard. He’s hitting hundreds of balls. I’m sure he’s got a big future. It’s not going to be the last time he plays for Australia.”