Melbourne: Ahead of the fourth Test against India, Australian skipper Pat Cummins had a special message for the 19-year-old debutant Sam Kontas, urging the batter to enjoy being a part of the Boxing Day Test, and not overthink it.
The U19 ICC World Cup winning star Konstas, having built heavy hype for himself following a string of powerful performances at the domestic level for New South Wales (NSW), will have a chance at justifying it as he takes on an Indian attack led by a world-class Jasprit Bumrah, which will no doubt be motivated to do better and take a 2-1 series lead after drawing the third Test at Brisbane from an almost unwinnable position.
Speaking during the pre-match presser as quoted by cricket.com.au, Cummins reminisced about his international debut in November 2011 against South Africa, in which he took seven wickets across both innings including a six-wicket haul. Cummins said that even he was as excited as Konstas was before his debut. He also said that when players start, there is a "level of naivety" as they want to take the game on as if it Is "backyard" cricket.
"It was pretty awesome. I spent a bit of the time wondering why, or how, I was there and how it happened so quickly. I just remember being really excited," said Cummins.
"I think it is similar to Sammy (Konstas) this week. There is a level of naivety that you just want to go out and play like you do when you are a kid in the backyard. You just want to take the game on, have fun, and not overthink it."
"That is the message to Sam. That is definitely how I felt as an 18-year-old. I was just really excited, and once the game started, you go into game mode and it's just like any other game," he concluded his point.
The Aussie captain also hilariously recalled how as an 18-year-old, he felt that he had more leeway in case of a bad game and it was the selector's fault for selecting him at such a young age.
"I remember as an 18-year-old I was thinking, 'I have got a lot more leeway because I was young' - almost publicly - so I almost felt like, if I did not have a great game, it was not my fault - it was the selectors' fault for picking me," he said.
"I was like, 'well, they're the idiots that picked an 18-year-old!' You are so young starting out your career - it is Boxing Day, it does not get any better than this. So just enjoy the moment," he signed off.
Konstas played a vital role in Australia's ICC U19 World Cup 2024 triumph, scoring 191 runs in seven innings at an average of 27.28, including a century. He also featured in a two-match series between Australia A and India A ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring 92 runs in four innings, highlighted by a match-winning 73*. In the warm-up pink-ball game against India, he stamped his authority with a classy 107 off 97 balls against a formidable Indian attack.
In the ongoing Sheffield Shield season, Konstas is the fifth-highest run-getter with 471 runs in five matches at an average of 58.87, including two centuries and a fifty, with a best score of 152.
Australia XI for the fourth Test: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland. (ANI)