Last Updated on 1 month by Charbel Coorey
Batting coach Neil D’Costa, who helped Michael Clarke and Phillip Hughes make successful entries into Test cricket, has warned against rushing Sam Konstas into the Australia team too soon.
Debates have been rife over recent weeks as to who will partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order for the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Konstas’ name has been thrown up after becoming the youngest player since Ricky Ponting to hit two centuries in the same Sheffield Shield game. The 19-year-old struck 152 and 105 in an excellent performance against South Australia last month.
Since then, however, Konstas has found the going a little difficult. The opener made scores of 2 and 43 for New South Wales against Victoria, followed by 0 and 16 for Australia A against India A. He was dismissed by deliveries coming into and away from him.
“He could be a good player for 100 Tests. If they put him in now, he might only play 10 Tests,” D’Costa told Sydney Morning Herald.
“He’s another player who has shown great potential but let him play two years of Sheffield Shield,” D’Costa continued. “Let him understand the grounds [in Australia], understand the flows [of the game], understand himself and understand the game. If he’s good enough, he will get the runs, and he’ll be in [the team in] a little bit.”
Don’t rush Sam Konstas into Test cricket like Prithvi Shaw – Neil D’Costa
D’Costa likened the Konstas situation to that of Indian Prithvi Shaw. Shaw made his Test debut in grand style against West Indies in 2018, hitting 134 and winning man of the match. However, he has played just four Tests since, with his last in 2020 owing to performance and disciplinary issues.
“It’s just ridiculous [talk of rushing Konstas in]. How’s Prithvi Shaw going? I could see his weaknesses before he went in,” D’Costa said.
The batting coach is very highly regarded in Australia. D’Costa worked with Michael Clarke for years before his Test debut in 2004, where he struck a memorable 151 in Bengaluru. He also worked with Phillip Hughes, who scored twin hundreds in just his second Test in South Africa in 2009. He has also worked with Konstas, who is now being mentored by Shane Watson, and is currently Marnus Labuschagne’s batting coach.
In terms of the opener race, Nathan McSweeney is arguably in the box seat after an excellent start to the season. Not only did he hit 39 and 88* in challenging circumstances for Australia A, but he began the Sheffield Shield season with 55, 127*, 37 and 72.
“I thought he looked absolutely polished,” said former captain Tim Paine. “He looked organised and his defence was fantastic on a really difficult wicket.”
