A former Australian star has thrown his support behind Sam Konstas for World Test Championship final
Former Australian star Damien Fleming wants to see selectors boldly back Sam Konstas in next month's World Test Championship final at Lords.
Konstas is in a battle with No.3 Marnus Labuschagne and the returning Cam Green to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order in the one off Test with South Africa.
Fleming believes Green will resume his post at No.4 and slide Steve Smith up to No.3 – leaving the vacant spot between Labuschagne and Konstas.
The former quick, who made 108 international appearances, says Konstas offers something different to Labuschagne against the new ball.
'My gut feeling is that they'll stick with Marnus but I would actually go with Konstas,' Fleming, who will cover the final for SEN, said.
'I want Konstas to open in the Ashes, so to get a Test final, which is pretty extreme pressure against (Kagiso) Rabada, (Lungi) Ngidi, (Marco) Jansen and co.
'But in his four innings so far he's had (Jasprit) Bumrah bowling so it's not as if he hasn't faced the best at Test level already.
'What I like about Konstas is his scoring rate, we saw early in the Indian series when Nathan McSweeney was opening with Usman and Marnus at No.3, at times they battled really hard but if they lost one or two the scoreboard was nowhere.'
Konstas delivered a spectacular debut on Boxing Day in front of a packed MCG, slamming India to all parts in a quick-fire 60.
Fleming says Konstas' debut innings and 'even his little cameos' allow the experienced Khawaja to patiently get going.
'We saw in Melbourne in that stunning first innings when Konstas gets out we're virtually 100 and the game is set up,' Fleming said.
'Even his little cameos in Sydney … those quick 20s just accelerated the game and Usman can play within himself.
'I would like for them to go with Konstas, he's the future, we want to get games into him and his scoring rate sets up Test matches.
'Dave Warner was doing that for us for many years, (Virender) Sehwag did it for India, (Chris) Gayle for the West Indies – I mean everyone is doing it in 'Bazball'.
'The more he plays, hopefully he finds that tempo between T20 innovation and just orthodox cricket which he looks like he is orthodox but he does have genuine power, I think he will end up a big, strong boy.
'Yes, it's a World Test Championship final but I think I would be going with Konstas and Usman.'
Fleming disagrees with the idea put forward by Chairman of Selectors George Bailey that opening is a role 'more people could do than we give credit to'.
He says setting that standard runs the risk of players at Sheffield Shield level avoiding the new ball for a better shot at national selection.
'Under George Bailey, (Andrew) McDonald and (Pat) Cummins, they have been horses for courses to some degree,' he said.
'But as someone sort of said … with the selections of McSweeney – who I think will make it as a Test middle-order player and I love what he brings in the field as well.
'But why be a specialist opener in Shield cricket if they're going to pick guys who bat No.4 to open in Test match cricket? Why would you take that risk?
'The ball might be a bit more blunted and we know, it might have been Moises Henriques who said it … batting has got 30 per cent hard because of the pitches in Shield cricket.
'Opening up is really tough, so I think we need to decrease expectations, years ago you had to average 50 to play Test cricket but maybe we'll take 35 and build partnerships.
'In an ideal world I would like to see us reward Sheffield Shield openers into the Test team.'
Originally published as A former Australian star has thrown his support behind Sam Konstas for World Test Championship final
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