Cricket-Future uncertain for Australia's Konstas after Windies wipeout

The Star

11 hours ago

FILE PHOTO: Cricket - World Test Championship Final - Australia Practice - Lord's Cricket Ground, London, Britain - June 9, 2025 Australia's Sam Konstas during practice Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo
(Reuters) -Amid the back slaps and banter in a victorious Australian dressing room, teen opener Sam Konstas's celebrations may feel bittersweet at the end of his forgettable test series in the West Indies.
Australia completed a 3-0 whitewash of the West Indies on Monday with a 176-run rout in the pink-ball test in Kingston.
But Konstas can claim little credit.
A five-ball duck in the second innings at Sabina Park saw the 19-year-old, who has been touted as the "future of Australian batting", finish with 50 runs from his six innings at an average of 8.33.
Only Jayden Seales, the West Indies fast bowler and tailender, had fewer runs among players who competed in all three matches.
With England's Jofra Archer and the first Ashes test looming in four months, alarm bells are ringing in Australia.
"The prospect of Konstas facing Jofra Archer with the first ball of the Ashes on November 21 – potentially delivered at 155km/h – doesn't feel like a fair fight," the Sydney Morning Herald said.
Konstas also grassed two slips catches off Mitchell Starc's bowling on the final day at Sabina Park as Australia bowled out the hosts for 27, the second-lowest test innings score after New Zealand's 26 against England in 1955.
Last December, Konstas took the cricket world by storm when he scored 60 on debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day, repeatedly ramping India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
He has not passed 25 runs in an innings since, holding an average of 16.30 from five tests.
Australia have discarded plenty of players for lesser batting crimes but selectors are desperate for Konstas to make the grade and fill the void at opener which has lingered since David Warner's retirement.
The West Indies pitches were surprisingly tough and Konstas was not alone in his struggles. His opening partner Usman Khawaja also had a poor series, averaging 19.50, while Travis Head was the top performer with a modest average of 37.33.
Australia captain Pat Cummins was loath to criticise his batting teammates in the conditions.
"It's really hard to judge, I think," he told reporters.
"There'll be a few of the guys who of course wish they could have done better and if they had another crack at it maybe did a few things differently.
"No doubt it was tough."
Konstas will look forward to returning to home pitches where last year he racked up centuries for fun in the Sheffield Shield.
Still only a teenager, he has plenty of time to develop as a player, but only a handful of Shield matches to convince he belongs in Australia's Ashes lineup.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)