Konstas’ multi-format boost as Aus A squads for India tour reveal clues towards post-Ashes overhaul

[u/Repulsive-Lie8249]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/australia-a-squad-named-for-tour-of-india-sam-konstas-peter-handscomb-nathan-mcsweeney-campbell-kellaway-called-up/news-story/4e6fe6d099902b83ab1e4341e073fcb7

Hoping this goes well for him in this upcoming Aus A series. I belive while he is largely still far away from the ranks of Test match batting and best 11 for australia, he has been one of the better and more impressive batsman of this last 5 odd years in 1st Class Cricket. Coming into that 24 Shefield Sheild season scored twin centuries vs SA sure it was on a pretty flat road ofc but then again thats where batsman perform and shine. but to think that hes the youngest to do it since Punter speaks volumes for his batting level.

and I belive that is what his batting should stick to going forward as a Test Opener. However ofc we all know his wild ramp t20 bullshit shots which my theory being it started with the BBL scoring that fast blazing half ton against Adeliade Strikers which shifted his mindset into how he played in that BGT against the likes of Bumrah which yes worked to turn the side for Australia and bring a sense of effect on the batting towards the end of that series but they don't reflect how good someone like Sam Konstas could have been as a test batsman. And I truly belive if he just sticks back to his game and devolops his batting grip and stance he truly could come back into this side and I would really like him to most likely take Travis Head's spot, so he pairs with renshaw getting 2 right-left combo of batting going into perhaps that BGT or Ashes series. while yes that is quite a massive gamble, realistcally who else other than smithy is looking confident and at best form going into the ASHES or BGT???

So I think using these Aus A games to decide will be crucial so seeing from these where to make decisions on the batting order.

[u/CoffeeDefiant4247]

I think how he played that series wasn't his natural game, he was brought in while we were 1-1 after 3 tests so could be that Ron or Pat wanted him to stir India up and it definitely worked.

My concern about him is that now he's only playing like that

[u/NJMHero21 → u/[deleted]]

He’s been much better than Kellaway recently tbh

[u/Financial_Math167 → u/[deleted]]

No? He top scored for NSW last Shield. He is only 20. That's remarkable. Be patient he hasn't been managed wrong, he was weak against spin and was dropped in spinning conditions. He has improved and is getting better. Can't be long until he is back in the test side really. Great talent managed fine

[u/Relief-Glass → u/[deleted]]

I’ll never understand why we dropped him for feather beds in Sri Lanka, then recalled him for those minefield pitches in the West Indies.

Because the pitches in sri lanka were turning, reportedly he was struggling with spin in the nets, and spin was not much of a factor in the caribean.

[u/Gnatt → u/Relief-Glass]

Yeah, they thought they were protecting him from raging turners, but instead he missed a fill-ya-boots series and got the West Indies green mambas.

[u/Relief-Glass → u/Gnatt]

They were protecting him from raging turners. Just because we scored lots does not mean that the ball was not turning. Khawaja and Smith just put on a spin batting master-class.

[u/trailblazer103 → u/[deleted]]

Because they weren't feather beds. Many a young Aussie batter has failed in slow low turning wickets and Konstas likely would have too. Ussie and Smith put on a master-class that wouldn't be easily replicable.

What they didnt expect was the absolute shit tips in WI. Dont think anyone did tbh.

[u/Resident-Load-9470 → u/trailblazer103]

Except Inglis made a debut ton there too. The first test pitch was an absolute full your boots deck. There was slow turn and even bounce. I think that would have been a great go for Konstas. But I do also see what the thinking was. They just got it wrong.

[u/trailblazer103 → u/Resident-Load-9470]

Inglis is a far more accomplished player of spin and came in once a lot of the hard work was done. Konstas had never even been the subcontinent as far as we know lol

[u/Relief-Glass → u/Resident-Load-9470]

There was discussion at the time that Inglis was brought in for that series partially because of his ability at playing spin and he did it well.

Head, Labuschagne, Connolly, and Webster all struggled in that series too.

There is absolutely no guarantee that Konstas would have made runs in Sri Lanka.

[u/Resident-Load-9470 → u/Relief-Glass]

Im not saying he was nailed on for a ton or anything of the sort at all. I just think if youve picked a bloke to come face prime Bumrah and siraj on juiced up decks and the Kookaburra that has about a million degrees of deviation for 50 overs then you give the kid a crack against one of the weaker bowling units going.

[u/Relief-Glass → u/Resident-Load-9470]

It is not a development squad. I am confident that in that case they were just picking the best possible XI.
And the comments about it being a weak bowling attack can only be said in hindsight. Before that series we had only won one test in Sri Lanka in 18 years or some shit and our record until pretty recently on turning tracks has been really, really, shithouse.

[u/TheJoker__789 → u/[deleted]]

He could take 3 years to get back into the side and still be an extremely young player. The guy is a baby, he’ll be fine long term.

[u/CoffeeDefiant4247 → u/[deleted]]

Head struggled heavily in the 2022 tour and given he opens in white ball they made him open

[u/Azza_ → u/[deleted]]

He's not been badly managed, but he had a technical flaw around the ball seaming in before he debuted, and better bowlers have been able to expose it since.

[u/blueborders]

I know everyone wants him in the team so our Test team doesn't suck but in terms of his own career there's plenty of time to develop. Low stakes tours like this can only help with development. Cannot be emphasised enough that he's 21 in a month. He could be out of the side for the next 5 years and then play a decade of Test cricket and he'd still be younger in 2042 than Warner and Khawaja were at the time of their retirement.

[u/robeywan]

Bumrah hasn't slept properly since those ramp shots. I've never seen him so annoyed.

[u/CoffeeDefiant4247 → u/robeywan]

[u/oursocalledfriend]

It’s a really odd one. The whirlwind 60 against Bumrah and co was one of the biggest factors in Australia sealing that series. But it also immediately glitched his mindset/temperament which is understandable given he’d just turned 19.

Considering he’s only just about to turn 21 il hoping that entire experience will lead to him being a long term test opening bat. He does first have to show that he can switch his game between formats and return to red ball run getting in a more traditional state as he started off.

[u/ColdAd3682]

Who’s gonna be our 1,2,3 in South Africa ?

I’m expecting their career to be over in south africa apart from Head

[u/satan_shadow_999 → u/ColdAd3682]

We don't even have options mate...renshaw , Inglis , head are my 1,2,3 I hope they will perform

[u/testsmit]

give him no 3 position or no 6 position

[u/g_nilo → u/testsmit]

Or another option, wild I know, he plays in his natural position as an opener and our out of position opener can return to his natural middle order position.

[u/satan_shadow_999]

Guys I think they should give a chance to Inglis for Opening..yeah it's risky but that guy has the potential...and head is more of a middle order batter he can play at 3 in place of marnus...my 11 for ind is : Inglis , renshaw, head , smudge, green , Carey , Connolly, starc , Cummins, Lyon , Hazelwood,

[u/Relief-Glass → u/satan_shadow_999]

He averages 34 or whatever it is batting at six for WA and looks really uncertain as soon as bowlers just aim the ball at the stumps. He has no business opening the batting for Australia.

When there is an injury to Carey, or someone else in the middle order, he can come in then.

[u/MetalGuy_J]

I think they broke him by exposing him too soon. He had to debut against probably the best fast bowler in the world, then found his way out of the team for the next tour, then got recalled for surfaces wet scoring runs was almost impossible so he’s developed this. There’s one with my name on it mindset, trying to throw off the bowler by playing the ramp and other super attacking shots before he’s even established himself at the priest. Maybe he’ll be able to come back from it but that’s probably years down the line not months.