‘Cricket’s Raygun’: Poms in bizarre meltdown over Konstas, claim they have better prodigy — UK View

The men’s Ashes won’t hit Australian shores for a tick over 10 months, but that hasn’t stopped the English press from having their say on Sam Konstas nearly a year before their country lines up against him.

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After his whirlwind 60 on debut against India’s Jasprit Bumrah on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test, both praise and criticism have come thick and fast for the 19-year-old.

The Sam Konstas that international cricket has seen is far different to the one selected on the back of his domestic form, as he took the global cricket circuit by storm with his reverse ramps and charging of Bumrah on the first ball of his side’s innings.

Konstas’ entry reminded several outlets of one of their own in Jacob Bethell; a 21-year-old jet who has burst onto the top level with some eye-catching batting.

In making his own assessment, Steve James of The Times said it was England who had the better batting prodigy.

“If I were to make one bold prediction it would be that the 21-year-old Bethell, a player with flair but much solidity too, does play in the Ashes and becomes much the better Test batsman than Konstas,” wrote James.

“That might actually be two predictions, and, yes, Bethell still does not have a first-class century in comparison to Konstas’ mountain of runs, but these are very different and intriguing times in which we live.”

Bethell made his Test debut just one month before Konstas, and finished his maiden Test red-ball series against New Zealand with three half-centuries at an average of 52. But unlike the Aussie opener however, Bethell displayed a far more conventional technique when scoring at a good clip.

Prior to his Test debut, Konstas’ stroke play was very similar to that of Bethell. In fact, it was notably more conservative than his rival left-hander.

Konstas, however, came out with a wild new approach when he took on India in his debut Test series — something which The Guardian’s Barney Ronay took aim at in a brutal take.

“There was a sense during the India series of Konstas being installed as a cricketing version of Raygun the Olympic breakdancer, a fun, gimmicky approximation of the real thing,” he wrote.

“This is a nation that seems convinced the future of cricket is a spunky, mulletted, wispy-moustachioed bloke who hasn’t scored any runs but whacks it in interesting ways (see also: Jake Fraser-McGurk). Konstas will have a long and lucrative career in the form the sport now takes. But what are the odds he has already made his highest Test score?”

While only time can tell how Konstas will fare in Test cricket long-term, it’s worth noting Australia’s youngest ever opener is averaging 58.87 from 471 runs in the Sheffield Shield this season. His numbers, and talent, suggest he’s certainly capable of bettering his high score of 60 made in his debut innings.

The Telegraph’s Will Macpherson was much more conservative in his analysis of Australia’s newest opener, noting that his style of play does mimic that of the enigma that is ‘Bazball’ in England.

“Australians have taken great delight in sneering at England’s uber-attacking approach – until one of their own took it even further,” Macpherson wrote.

“Konstas showed the benefit of taking on even the best bowlers, alleviating scoreboard pressure and forcing the opposition captain to find Plan B.

“Konstas will have to refine his approach, which at times was just glorified slogging. But he is clearly a talent and what Australia need.”

Macpherson’s assessment of Konstas needing to refine his approach has been a common viewpoint among experts. His first two Tests at the top level were entertaining, but many of his shots were considered to be low percentage and left much more to chance than what he was prior to his international call-up.

Macpherson’s colleague Tim Wigmore went on to make a much wider point on Konstas’ baptism of fire to Test cricket — and what it took for him to completely backflip on the game plan that had gotten him to his international debut.

Unlike some of his British contemporaries, Wigmore was far more positive when giving his assessment of Konstas’ entry to Test cricket.

“Eleven balls and one ramp shot. That was all it took for Sam Konstas to announce himself as one of the boldest Test cricketers in the world today,” Wigmore wrote for The Telegraph.

“In his first over, Konstas played largely as his new team-mates had against Bumrah, playing and missing four times. By the time of his 11th delivery, Konstas reasoned that a new approach – however brazen – was needed.”

That approach was reverse ramping and charging; anything he could do to put Bumrah off his line and length was what Konstas strived for.

Wigmore went on to describe Konstas as Australia’s own answer to England’s Bazball approach.

“Such a mindset means that Konstas came to see his assault on Bumrah as simply a pragmatic option, in which the rewards – both the runs on offer, and the way in which the boundaries led to fewer slip fielders – justified the risks,” Wigmore added.

“But a first-class strike rate of 54 illustrates a batsman as comfortable minimising risk in fertile batting conditions as attacking to upset bowlers’ equilibrium on tricky pitches.

“Against India, Konstas was Australia’s very own Bazballer. Yet the focus on his array of ramps and reverse ramps ignores what Australians find even more thrilling: the notion that Konstas’ range evokes the country’s finest batting talents.”