TikTok batting or ticktock batting? Konstas’ fight to open for Australia at Lord’s
Of most importance to Australian coach Andrew McDonald and selection chair George Bailey will be that Konstas looked capable of scoring runs and occupying the crease on a bouncy surface in Perth, alongside Brisbane one of the two Ashes cities he had never experienced before this season.
“He played well. It was good to see him apply himself and show us how much of a good, natural player he is when he’s applying himself,” teammate Jack Edwards said of Konstas. “It was a nice knock, and hopefully next time he can make it a really big one.”
There will be some irritation about running past a straight delivery from Rocchiccioli to be stumped the delivery after reaching 50 – more so because the very next ball Josh Philippe was undone by bounce and taken at short leg. As was the case against India, Konstas is still working on managing his emotions.
“I feel like for me, I just love the game and I got caught in the moment – definitely,” he told this masthead in Sri Lanka during Australia’s recent Test tour. “First time playing with big crowds. I felt like the emotions got to me quite a bit, and hopefully if I do get into that scenario again I can control that a bit better.”
Konstas’ management remains hopeful of finding some county cricket for him to play in the early part of the English season before the world Test championship final, although that sort of opportunity may now best be found should injury befall one of the incumbent overseas players.
First, Konstas has one more Shield game, down in Hobart against Tasmania. For seasoned observers such as former Australian captain Mark Taylor, these domestic battles are critical to Konstas’ development.
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“He’s not sure where he should play or how he should play. I’d be saying to Sam Konstas, ‘how did you get to the Australian cricket side?’ He got there playing orthodox cricket. Go back and play like that,” Taylor told Sports Sunday.
“Die by the way and live by the way that you play. He doesn’t play like he did in Boxing Day last summer. That’s not how he plays. He’s a much better player than that.”
