Ronnie McDonald preaches patience with Konstas as they aim to reduce noise with a big Ashes year ahead of them.
Ronnie McDonald asks for ‘a bit of patience’ as spotlight remains firmly on Konstas.
Sam Konstas was taking in Barbados’ cuisine, beaches, and way of life before to the first Test match against the West Indies. Then reality set in.
As the series proceeds to Grenada, he will continue to be the centre of attention thanks to two innings of three and five, the latter of which was an exceptionally challenging 38-ball stay during which he was twice dismissed by Shamar Joseph’s induckers.
On the one hand, this is extremely difficult for a 19-year-old who is only participating in his third Test match. He had to deal with really challenging circumstances. It was only his eighteenth first-class game. However, despite their difficulties in replacing David Warner, Australia has set themselves and Konstas on this path.
At the moment, it feels more like a millstone than a milestone, but Konstas’ first knock against India at the MCG, which included four plays and misses in the opening over of the contest against Jasprit Bumrah before the pyrotechnics began, helped shift the tone of the series.
During an interview with News Corp prior to the Barbados Test, Konstas revealed an intriguing anecdote: his batting coach, Tahmid Islam, had suggested that he take the highlights of his century against the Indians for the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, complete with ramps and scoops, from his phone. This effectively turned the match into a one-day match.
Not surprisingly for someone who hasn’t turned 20, Konstas is still trying to figure out what kind of batter he needs and wants to be. At the very least, he needs to get back to the pace that was evident in the back-to-back Sheffield Shield hundreds that first got everyone talking last season and led to comparisons to Ricky Ponting.
“The players are the harshest critics really when all is said and done,” head coach Andrew McDonald told reporters the day after Australia’s 159-run victory. “We’ve had some conversations around potentially if you’re in that situation again what does that look like and that’s what experience is. It’s learning from previous events and trying to implement a way through that.
“It felt like he was stuck at times and he was over-aggressive and then [he] underplayed. It’s really that balance and tempo. He’s got that there and that’s a step up to Test cricket. He’s got a really good partner down the other end [in Usman Khawaja] that over time, I think, will play out. That’s all we ask for – a bit of patience and time with a young player coming into Test cricket.”