Left Arm Around

A crushing defeat in Perth. The perfect response in Adelaide. Rain probably saving India’s bacon in Brisbane. Ravichandran Ashwin announcing his sudden international retirement. Jasprit Bumrah bowling on another planet.

With the series posed at 1-1 with two matches left to play, this much anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy has delivered its fair share of talking points for both sides.

But as Australia fight for a first series victory over India in 10 years, they revealed yet another choice that has left many wondering if they’re biting off more than they chew.

In steps Sam Konstas, a new addition to Australia’s 15-man squad for the Boxing Day Test. A fresh-faced 19-year-old kid so young that he wasn’t even born when the famous 2005 Ashes series in England reached its conclusion.

He recently made headlines in his Big Bash League (BBL) debut for Sydney Thunder, crunching a swashbuckling 50 from 20 deliveries- the fastest in the franchise’s history.

Part of Australia’s successful Under 19 World Cup campaign in South Africa earlier this year, Konstas then broke out in Sheffield Shield Cricket with twin centuries against South Australia.

In doing so, he became the youngest player to achieve the feat since a certain Ricky Ponting in 1993 (a pretty good player to follow).

And should he make his debut at the MCG, he will become the youngest Baggy Green since his captain Pat Cummins in 2011.

Although the Aussies require stability at the top of the order given the struggles of Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney- the man who now makes way for Konstas- one wonders whether another inexperienced pro is ready for the cauldron of international cricket.

His first-class record is strong with an average of 42 for New South Wales, but given he made his Shield debut in 2023 and has only 11 matches to date, a very small sample size indeed, it’s completely unreasonable to expect Konstas to come flying out of the blocks like McSweeney was unable to do.

The Australian media are lauding him as ‘special’ and someone who could open the batting for years to come, something he may yet go on to achieve.

With Bumrah at the peak of his powers and the other Indian pacers with points to prove, could throwing Konstas into the lions den at a packed house in Melbourne on Boxing Day be the smartest move to make?

If he’s up to it, amazing. Australia have found yet another batting prodigy ready to make his mark.

But if the occasion becomes too much and the tourists smell blood, Konstas may be ruthlessly kicked to the curb and exposed. His confidence damaged for years to come. A small part of his brain will be thinking ‘where did I go wrong’ or ‘am I good enough for this level?’.

Many a young talent has burst onto the scene and been earmarked for greatness, only for their career to come crashing down. The plaudits and outside pressure becoming so overbearing that the potential you have is left in the depths of indoor nets and training pitches, away from the glaring eyes of millions around the globe.

Then again, in their moment of madness, one should commend the courage of Cricket Australia.

They haven’t played it safe and decided to play an experienced player with a strong first-class record- someone who could steady the ship or potentially grind out a boring hundred.

Instead, they’ve been bold. They’ve shot for the moon and chosen a player who appears confident, expansive and free in equal measure.

With his heavy diet of white-ball cricket and penchant for aggressive stroke making, he will be keen to press the accelerator and assert Australia’s dominance from day one- something McSweeney nor Khawaja have been willing nor capable to exert.

Fans and media alike will be quick to jump on their back should he fail to hit a score in Melbourne or Sydney, but isn’t elite sport also about taking risks and being willing to make tough decisions? About being willing to pluck a player out of relative obscurity even if it comes back to smack you in the face.

As the old adage goes: “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough”.

The gamble of Sam Konstas may yet deliver the most almighty payout…