Brisbane, Feb 8 (IANS) Rising Australian star Sam Konstas has admitted that he got “caught in the moment” during his whirlwind Test debut against India, as he made his return to Shield cricket on Saturday.
The 19-year-old stunned the cricketing world with an aggressive 60 against a formidable Indian attack, taking on the likes of Jasprit Bumrah. However, after scoring just 53 runs across his next three innings, selectors opted to send him back to domestic cricket to gain more experience, promoting Travis Head to open for the Sri Lanka tour.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Konstas acknowledged that the emotion of playing at major venues like the MCG and SCG impacted his game.
“I feel like for me, I just love the game and I got caught in the moment – definitely,” Konstas said. “First time playing with big crowds. I felt like the emotions got to me quite a bit, and hopefully if I do get into that scenario again I can control that a bit better.”
Konstas is now set to play at the Gabba for the first time in the Shield clash against Queensland, which he sees as a crucial opportunity to develop his skills.
“This is going to be my first time at the Gabba, and hopefully (NSW) we will build a bit of momentum and make the final,” he told CODE Sports.
Despite missing out on the Sri Lanka tour, Konstas was optimistic about his future and grateful for the lessons learned from experienced teammates like Steve Smith, Travis Head, and Usman Khawaja.
While Konstas has yet to experience playing in spin-friendly conditions, the traditionally bouncy and fast-paced Gabba pitch will pose a new set of challenges for him as an opener against Queensland.
His NSW captain, Jack Edwards, supported the selectors’ decision to send him back to Shield cricket, emphasising the importance of game time.
“For Sam to go (to Sri Lanka) and still have experiences in those conditions training, I’m sure it’ll be amazing for him … (and) as much as he hasn’t played on the subcontinent, he also hasn’t played at the Gabba,” Edwards said.
“He’s going to be in the Test team for a long time in the future, (and) he’s going to play a lot of cricket (at the Gabba).
“Typically, in Shield cricket, you get more of a greener wicket here, a bit more grass on it, so it’s going to be a pretty good test. The Bulls have (also) got a very strong bowling attack, so for him to get the experience is going to be great for him.”
Edwards noted that Konstas was eager to score runs but had to wait his turn after NSW won the toss and elected to bowl first.
“Whenever I’ve seen him play, he always wants to score as many runs as possible,” the NSW skipper said. “It’ll be great to have him back around the group. He’s coming off the back of a good Test summer, but also his energy and personality around the group is fantastic for us.
“We’ve got a pretty young group. He’s got a lot of good mates. He’s not a shy guy, so I’m sure he’ll fit back in well, and hopefully he can score a ton of runs for us.”
Konstas will face a tough challenge against a Queensland bowling attack led by Michael Neser, who took 10 wickets in the state’s first two Shield matches before sustaining a hamstring injury while playing for Australia A against India A.
–IANS
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