Great start, but questions raised on shot selection

Australia’s young opener Sam Constas scored a brilliant half-century on his debut in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Melbourne. His explosive batting won the hearts of fans. However, glimpses of T20 style shots in his game have worried cricket pundits. Former Australian fast bowler Rodney Hogg and wicketkeeper batsman Alex Carey have given their opinion on Konstas’ batting style.

Rodney Hogg’s strong statement: Gave advice by calling him a ‘slugger’

Former Test bowler Rodney Hogg openly expressed his opinion on Constas’ batting.

• Statement:
  “Constas is a slugger. If he wants to survive in Test cricket, he will have to change his batting style.”
• How to play:
  He said that strike rate does not matter in Test cricket, but it is important to bat properly and play after understanding the conditions.
• Challenge of Sri Lanka tour:
  Hogg said,
  “It will be difficult to play round shots on the spin-friendly pitches of Sri Lanka. He has been the talk of the town for two Test matches now, but he will have to improve his batting to last longer.”

Alex Carey’s comment: ‘This method will not prove correct’

Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey also raised questions on Kontas’ batting.

• Statement:
  “Contas’s game will definitely be a topic of discussion. I don’t think his current style can give him long-term success in Test cricket.”
• Advantage on pitches favorable to batsmen:
  Carey said that Kontas could trouble opposition teams by playing aggressively on batting-friendly pitches, but this strategy would not work in every situation.

Performance in BGT debut: Aggression becomes weakness

Kontas played some excellent shots in his debut match, but due to irregular shots, he could not play big innings in both the innings.

• Melbourne Test:
  • Half century in the first innings.
  • Was out due to aggression.
• Sydney Test:
  • In an attempt to play fast, he returned to the pavilion early.
  • Could not make any significant contribution in both the innings.

The way forward for Constas

Constas’ batting style has divided fans and experts.

• deep side:
  • Ability to score fast runs.
  • The skill of putting opposition teams under pressure with aggressive shots.
• Weak Side:
  • Lack of traditional techniques of Test cricket.
  • The challenge of staying at the crease for a long time.

Tough test on Sri Lanka tour

Australia’s next tour is Sri Lanka, where the pitches are known for spin.

• Rodney Hogg and Alex Carey indicated that Kontas needed to work on his technique and shot selection.
• Aggressive batting in spin-friendly conditions can create problems for him.