Teenager Konstas not out to prove himself ahead of West Indies return
Teenage batter Sam Konstas has vowed to take a more conventional approach than in his early Test appearances for Australia after earning a recall to the team that will face the West Indies in the two nations' first Test in Bridgetown from Wednesday.
The 19-year-old has been drafted into the side to replace opener Marnus Labuschagne, having made headlines with his outlandish shot selection and rapid scoring during his debut against India in Melbourne in the Boxing Day Test.
'I still can't believe it,' Konstas told Australian media when asked about his swashbuckling introduction to Test cricket. 'I don't know what was going through my mind at that time. I thought it was right in the moment. It was good fun.
'The emotions probably got to me with the crowd. It was good reflecting and having a bit of time off, trying to strengthen my game. Hopefully we get to win the next Test match.
'I feel like I trust people that I work with and they understand my game. I'm not trying to prove to anyone how I'm going to play. I just want to be myself and obviously understand when to take the game on.'
Konstas hit 60 runs in his debut innings and kept his place for the following Test in Sydney as the Australians wrapped up a 3-1 series win over Virat Kohli and company.
He was included in the squad that travelled for a two-Test series against Sri Lanka later in January, but was not selected for either match.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
5 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Teenager Konstas not out to prove himself ahead of West Indies return
Teenage batter Sam Konstas has vowed to take a more conventional approach than in his early Test appearances for Australia after earning a recall to the team that will face the West Indies in the two nations' first Test in Bridgetown from Wednesday. The 19-year-old has been drafted into the side to replace opener Marnus Labuschagne, having made headlines with his outlandish shot selection and rapid scoring during his debut against India in Melbourne in the Boxing Day Test. 'I still can't believe it,' Konstas told Australian media when asked about his swashbuckling introduction to Test cricket. 'I don't know what was going through my mind at that time. I thought it was right in the moment. It was good fun. 'The emotions probably got to me with the crowd. It was good reflecting and having a bit of time off, trying to strengthen my game. Hopefully we get to win the next Test match. 'I feel like I trust people that I work with and they understand my game. I'm not trying to prove to anyone how I'm going to play. I just want to be myself and obviously understand when to take the game on.' Konstas hit 60 runs in his debut innings and kept his place for the following Test in Sydney as the Australians wrapped up a 3-1 series win over Virat Kohli and company. He was included in the squad that travelled for a two-Test series against Sri Lanka later in January, but was not selected for either match.
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Proteas hero Aiden Markram felt ‘all of the emotions at once' in career-defining Lord's final century
Aiden Markram takes a photo with Proteas fans at the OR Tambo International Airport this week. Photo: ITUMELENG ENGLISH Independent Media Image: ITUMELENG ENGLISH Independent Media WHEN Aiden Markram walked in to open the batting alongside Dean Elgar in Potchefstroom almost a decade ago, there had been a lot said about his potential, with many dubbing him the next Graeme Smith. After all, Markram had led the South African Under-19s to World Cup glory a few years prior, and sent the country into a state of happiness. On that day in Potchefstroom, Markram's 97 on debut further gave the country hope that it had found its next run machine, one that could potentially reach the heights that Smith achieved in his career. For the next couple of years, he would prove himself against India and Australia at home, bringing up big centuries as he solidified his place as a Test-match opener. However, a couple of years later, international bowlers finally cracked his code and learned his weakness, and the right-hander struggled. Eventually, in an attempt to try and keep such a talented player in the team, he was moved down the order, an experiment that also failed in New Zealand and England as the batter battled to make runs. Now, Markram sits with almost 3,000 Test runs at an average of 36, with eight hundreds, a set of numbers many would have never associated with him, given the hype and expectations that were placed on him. However, in the last two seasons, after being dropped a little over two years ago, he has blasted two centuries, including one in the recently concluded World Test Championship final at Lord's against a high-octane Australian pace attack. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ That knock is dubbed as one of the best innings in history because of the nature of the Test match, in that it was dominated by the bowlers who took 28 wickets in the opening two days in London. Markram scored that 136 (off 207 balls, 14x4) in the second innings following a duck in the first. 'A pair in the final... I don't think I would have slept very well,' he told the media, reflecting on the Test at Lord's. 'The ultimate goal in the second innings was just to get the first run, and then I said from there, I'll sort of tackle the rest and take the rest on. 'So, it was obviously a thought in my mind. Aiden Markram salutes the Lord's crowd after his match-winning 136 for the Proteas against Australia. Photo: AFP Image: AFP 'I think it's a thought in most batter's minds. But that was the initial thing, and then from there, it's just about staying in the game. 'I've said it, that conditions did get better for batting. The sun was out, which makes a big difference in the UK. 'Once we got through that initial sting of the new ball, it felt like we could actually occupy the crease, and we could transfer some pressure back onto them.' By the end of the third day, Markram had reached his century and barely celebrated as South Africa had 69 runs to get to win the match on day four. However, the 30-year-old said that he was emotional after stumps on day three as it had sunk in that he had scored a massive century, and was on the brink of helping the Proteas to the world title. Moreover, the opening batter highlighted his disappointment in not finishing unbeaten, as he was dismissed on a 207-ball 136. 'I think on day three, I was emotional about how things had worked out once I got back into the changing-room at stumps,' said Markram. 'But, I'm trying to get into it where you actually end up not out. I keep getting close and then giving it away. 'Even if the game is done or not, that's what the best players do, so that's sort of what you strive to try to do. Our ICC World Test Champions, the Proteas men, were welcomed in an exclusive fashion at the @SuperSportTV offices at the World of Champions. 🔥🏆#WTCFinal #WozaNawe #ProteasWTCFinal — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) June 19, 2025
Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Daily Maverick
Lungi Ngidi's redemption: How he silenced critics in Proteas' historic victory at Lord's
Lungi Ngidi says that despite the furore that followed after his inclusion in the World Test Championship final against Australia, he backed himself to deliver for his country. Criticism comes with the territory in sports — especially at the elite level. People will always have an opinion about you, it's unavoidable. One of the hallmarks of a good athlete is taking such jibes in your stride and doing your talking on the field. That's exactly what Proteas fast bowler Lungi Ngidi did during South Africa's World Test Championship (WTC) fina l five-wicket win over Australia in London. Known for his occasionally unorthodox decisions, South Africa's coach Shukri Conrad backed Ngidi to contribute to the team winning their first piece of international silverware since a Champions Trophy triumph in 1998. While team leaders such as captain Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada rose to the occasion with the spotlight firmly on them, Ngidi silenced a number of critics with his own sublime display in the final. No one expected the lanky fast bowler to aid South Africa's quest for global Test domination in any way. He was branded a liability. The critics pointed out that Ngidi had not played Test cricket in nearly a year. Fellow seamer Dane Paterson, on the other hand, was in great form. Recalled to the Test team for the first time in four years in 2024, Paterson was effective — picking up 21 wickets in five matches last year. As such, many followers of cricket believed the 36-year-old had earned his spot in the final, at the expense of Ngidi. But the Proteas hierarchy preferred Ngidi for this particular assignment, firmly backing him to deliver. Which he did during an inspired second innings in which he claimed three wickets for just 35 runs, in nine overs. Momentum-shifting spell He picked up three crucial wickets during his breathless spell — including that of Australian batting lynchpin Steve Smith. Rabada had disrupted the rhythm of Australia with two early wickets in their second innings — removing Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green. That brought Smith to the crease, alongside another threat with the bat — Marnus Labuschagne. Having dismissed South Africa for 138 in defence of their first-innings total of 212, the Australians still held their destiny in their own hands and were looking to build on their 122-run lead. Then came Ngidi, dismissing Smith for 13 to strike a heavy body blow on the Aussies. He followed up that crucial wicket with those of Beau Webster and Pat Cummins as Australia crumbled to 73 for seven. It was a defining spell by Ngidi, a moment of redemption after he had provided his critics with ammunition during a poor first innings in which he had been expensive, conceding 45 runs and failing to pick up a wicket during his eight-over shift. 'Focused on myself' At the team's homecoming press conference in Johannesburg, Ngidi told journalists that despite the noise around his selection and even his forgettable first-innings display, he never doubted his ability to vindicate Conrad and Bavuma for backing him. 'I was told to come on to bowl. Obviously, we knew the situation of the game. Who was at the crease as well, and it probably was the guy who was going to give them the best chance to get a massive lead,' said Ngidi of his blistering second-innings shift. 'I was just trying to get some rhythm. Temba was trying to tell me what balls to bowl, but I told him to just let me bowl. And that was about it,' Ngidi said. 'To me it's always been pretty much the same. What I've tried to do is obviously just block out the noise. There was obviously a lot to be said before the Test series started, but now I haven't heard anything but good things. So, it's funny how that's turned on its head,' the 29-year-old added. Ngidi's physical fitness had also been questioned in the build-up to the final, with the bowler supposedly looking out of shape. The seamer's career has also been blighted by injury, which has affected his pace. He says he's learnt to live with this reality. But he was also pleased with himself and his body after bowling nine successive overs at Lord's. 'Fitness is always people's opinions. You don't get put on the field unless the fitness trainer or the coach knows that you're going to be able to do the job. So, it's always a matter of opinion, as most things are when it comes to what the guys are doing on the field,' Ngidi said. 'In that moment, it's just a mental decision of 'I'm going to push through whatever I'm feeling right now or whatever mental block I've got.' So, it's a matter of people's opinions of when people say I look unfit. But if we had to probably run a race with each other, I'm probably the one who's going to win,' the pacer said. June has been quite a prosperous month for Ngidi. In addition to his Test final heroics, the bowler was part of the contingent that delivered Royal Challengers Bengaluru's first Indian Premier League title earlier this month. DM
