NEWS
Follow UsTahmid Islam knows everything about Sam Konstas; after all, he’s worked with him long before there was any hype surrounding the youngster. But even his coach couldn’t believe his eyes when Konstas, just minutes into his debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against India, tried to both scoop and reverse scoop Jasprit Bumrah, the best bowler in world cricket right now.
"We were having dinner the night before when he told me that the plan was to only scoop once he got to 150," Tahmid told ESPNCricinfo.
"It wasn't really part of the plan [to play the shot so early]. But he is someone that plays on instinct. He plays with a lot of freedom. He doesn't really think of the consequences of what people are going to say if he gets it wrong. I think it is his biggest skill and asset. Whereas loads of players think about the consequences like 'what if I fail doing it' or 'what if I get out playing it' or 'the media and coaching staff will have a go at me'."
Konstas’ coach also opined that India weren’t expecting a 19-year-old to come out and play with that kind of freedom, which is why they weren’t prepared.
"Sam is quite assured in his game. After playing and missing six times in his first 10 or 12 balls, he thought that the best way to put pressure on Bumrah was to try to put him off his length," he said.
He threw a different challenge at Bumrah, which was really good for Sam. It really shell-shocked India. They weren't expecting a 19-year-old to come out and play with that sort of freedom."
However, it wasn’t the first time that Konstas had smacked the Indian bowlers. While representing the Prime Minister’s XI a century earlier, he smashed Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna, showing his attacking prowess.
"It isn't a surprise. The reason Australia picked him was to throw India a different challenge. Sam took on the Indian bowling attack, minus Bumrah, during his century for the Prime Minister's XI against India about three weeks ago. He played with a lot of freedom. He played the reverse-scoop. He ran down the wicket to play back over the bowler's head,” he added.
But what was quite a refreshing shock was that Islam used Harry Brook as a reference point for the young Konstas, which is evident in the way the 19-year-old attacks without much repercussions.
"Someone that we use [as a reference] is Harry Brook, with whom I was lucky enough to play in Sydney. He is the No. 1 [currently No. 2] Test batter in the world. He is a fantastic all-format player, with whom I am really good friends. I get a lot of information from him, which I relay on to Sam, on how to transition between formats," Tahmid said.
