New Delhi: Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting believes 19-year-old Sam Konstas has what it takes to make a mark in the Tests against India, saying that the youngster has not only a lot of talent but also “attitude to go with it”. With the Border-Gavaskar Series evenly poised at 1-1 heading into the final two Tests, Australia made changes to their squad with Konstas being called up in place of Nathan McSweeney.
Konstas, 19, will now make his international debut as both teams chase an unassailable lead as well as all-important ICC World Test Championship points.
“I have seen a lot, there is a lot of talent there no doubt about it,” Ponting told The ICC Review as quoted by ICC.
“The way he played in the PM’s XI game (he scored 107 against the Indians), the way that he was able to approach his first BBL game the other night … I know it is different formats, but you can see that the talent is there and there is also a bit of an attitude to go with it.”
“And not a bad attitude, (but) an attitude that he knows that he is good and he wants to show the world that he is good,” he concluded. Featuring for the Prime Minister’s XI in a two-day game against the touring Indians after the Perth Test, Konstas attracted the spotlight with a century against the visiting side.
In his 11 first-class matches Konstas has scored 718 runs at an average of 42.2, including two centuries and three half-centuries.
However, for all his early success, Ponting emphasized the uncapped batter would still feel the jitters on his debut – especially when facing up to the No.1-ranked ICC Test bowler Jasprit Bumrah. “There is still a challenge there. It is a Test match. It is your first Test match. You are playing against some of the best bowlers in the world,” he said.