McDonald says every chance Konstas, Khawaja open in Ashes

Perth Now

5 days ago

Australian coach Andrew McDonald says there's every chance Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja will walk to the crease on the opening day of the Ashes in Perth despite the pair's horror tour of the West Indies.
Konstas made just 50 runs across six knocks at a meagre average of 8.33, while after opening the series with 47, Khawaja managed just 117 runs at 19.50, an average of one run less than No.10 Nathan Lyon, who also batted in the top order as a nightwatchman.
Konstas' return was so poor the 19-year-old New South Wales batter recorded the lowest average by an Aussie opener in a Test tour of the West Indies since 1984.
However, in the opening combinations' defence, Travis Head was the only player to average anywhere near 40, 37.33, as the series' venues produced plenty of seam and variable bounce.
McDonald said the West Indies results did not put a black mark on Konstas, instead insisting it was a learning experience and he was as good a shot as any to face England.
'Nobody is damaged being exposed to Test cricket,' he told SEN.
'What it does is give you a taste of what that level is like. All the things that come with being a Test cricketer. The exposure across the series is going to create great opportunities for him to go away and reflect.
'This period of time for any player is a, 'Decompress, do you own reflections', then we get together and plan the winter for him and get him where he needs to be for Shield cricket.
'There's no doubt he's got something to work on, like all our players. I'm not going to expose what they are because that's a declaration to the opposition.
'He is clear on what they are and is working on them. He is a highly talented player, and over time, we will see the real Sam Konstas.'
McDonald added how the youngsters responded to those learnings across the remainder of the winter and into the beginning of the Sheffield Shield season would determine whether he earned the nod to face England.
'It leaves him (Konstas) where everyone else is in terms of Shield cricket,' McDonald added.
'We won't shy away from the fact that it will be big for certain individuals to get some scores on the board and for us to look at what we need against England.
'That's a nuanced conversation. Sometimes you feel you get it right, other times you make changes mid-series, but we're open to all options. We see him as a player we will be using going forward, it's just a matter of when.'
'Right now (Konstas) is juggling his aggressive nature, his technique and the way he wants to go about playing. When you see a player in work at the nets and you gather information, we believe he has got more layers than just being that ultra-aggressive disruptor at the top of the order.
'We feel he has a big future ahead. He's had a small setback here in difficult conditions, so did the rest of the top order. Usman Khawaja in action in Sri Lanka. Credit: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images
'It was a difficult time for Sam; he will take away of some information that will accelerate his growth going forward. It's been a massive positive.'
When asked about Khawaja's immediate future, McDonald said the 38-year-old's, who turns 39 in December, experience would be invaluable for the Ashes.
'We see him playing a part during the summer,' he said.
'His ability to navigate through tricky situations [is great]. It feels like I'm having the same conversation we had about David Warner. The way he is moving, the method he applies, he's very repeatable, and we know what we're getting there, and it will match up well against England.
'Then it's about the output of runs. Those runs weren't here; it was difficult. He got 47 in the first Test, and that was critiqued, but in the context of that match, it was a sizeable score.
'Then the third Test moved way too fast and at times didn't even look like cricket.'
Khawaja showed his class in the previous away tour to Sri Lanka, crashing a career-high 232 in Galle.