Follow UsAustralia’s up-and-coming batter, Sam Konstas, had one of the debuts to remember in Test cricket, where he reverse-scooped one of the fiercest bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah, for a six and lit up the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the Boxing Day Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.
However, the 19-year-old now thinks that he was a bit too carried on by emotions and butterflies in the stomach for his first appearance in a brilliant series. Now, he hopes to start in the Barbados Test against West Indies, after being ignored for the Sri Lanka tour and the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against South Africa.
"It was my first few Test matches, and the emotions probably got to me with the crowd. But having a bit of time off to reflect and strengthen my game has helped. Now, hopefully I get the chance to start in the next Test,” ESPN cricinfo quoted Konstas as saying.
Konstas was also seen referring to a diary while in net sessions. Asked about what he wrote in it, the former U-19 World Cup-winning captain said, "The diary's been important. Just reflecting on games, going back to my checkpoints, especially when you're overseas. It helps me get grounded again."
Saying that it is a tough job to crack into the playing 11 of this Australian team, Konstas revealed that he keeps getting advice from the seniors.
"I always try to get advice from Uzi [Usman Khawaja], Marnus, Smith, just seeing how they go about things. I'm lucky to be around them, especially at 19. Playing for your country, travelling the world, it really is a dream come true,” said the right-handed batter.
"For me, I just hope to grab an opportunity because it's such a strong side," he said. "I'm very grateful for that,” Konstas added.
The first Test of the three-match series will begin on June 25 in Bridgetown, Barbados.