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Is Sam Konstas prepared to play cricket in the Test matches? In the upcoming two weeks, he will have the opportunity to strengthen his case against India A.
However, it would be an unprecedented selection in contemporary Australian cricket if the 19-year-old were chosen for the first Test match against India.
Selecting an Australian batsman who has played less than ten first-class games prior to making their Test debut is nearly unheard of in the past 35 years, even if he plays both games against India A.
Since Konstas became the third youngest player after Ponting to get twin hundreds in a Sheffield Shield match earlier this month, similarities between the two have been common. However, the comparisons stop there for the time being, even though both of them accomplished the accomplishment as teenagers.
Ponting did not play Test cricket until shortly before his 21st birthday in December 1995, despite having accomplished the accomplishment in March 1993 at the age of 18. Compared to Konstas, Ponting appears to be a veteran due to his extensive experience by the time he was selected to play Test cricket.
Konstas has failed to surpass 50 at a Test venue and has only participated in three of his six first-class games on Test grounds. As of yet, he has not reached 500 first-class runs. Alex Carey might not even have 400 if he had held onto a very simple advantage that Konstas provided on 0 in the second innings against South Australia.
Given that he also coached the former Australian captain when he got those double hundreds for Tasmania, Greg Shipperd, the new South Wales coach, is in a unique position to discuss if Konstas is prepared in contrast to Ponting. Last week, Shipperd was questioned about whether Konstas would gain from having to wait like Ponting.
While Ponting made those twin tonnes for Tasmania, Australia lost a home five-Test series to the West Indies at the beginning of 1993 and subsequently drew a series in New Zealand. There had been a considerable reorganisation of the upper echelon. After being dropped in late 1992, Dean Jones never played again. In 1992-93, Justin Langer, then 22 years old, and Damien Martyn, at 21 years old, made their Test debuts.
Michael Slater, who was 23 at the time, and Matthew Hayden, who was 22, were both youthful openers selected by Australia in 1993–94, although they both had far more experience than Konstas.
Despite the small sample size, competent evaluators are stating that Konstas is on par with all of these players. He could improve his record against India A and virtually guarantee his selection.
A player whose career path thus far does teach us a valuable lesson about the perils of promoting a player too soon, however, has quietly withdrawn from consideration as a potential opening option against India.
When selected for his Test debut at the age of 20, Matt Renshaw had only played 12 first-class matches, averaging less than 45 and scoring three hundreds. He had only played one game for Australia A and had not had the opportunity to make his white-ball cricket debut, unlike Warner, Smith, and even Green.
At the age of 28, Renshaw’s Test career has been a wild ride, much like Hayden’s first seven years. At first, the selection seemed to be a success because he averaged 53.22 in his first six Test matches. He appeared to be well outside the top four choices to replace the current vacancy, despite being Australia’s backup batsman in their last two Test series.
Selecting is not an exact science, but there is clear evidence that more data is better than less. Konstas could well be the real deal. However, it would be an unprecedented gamble if he were to be picked so soon.