Melbourne: Teenage sensation Sam Konstas was handed a maiden call up as Australia on Friday dropped rookie opener Nathan McSweeney for the final two Test matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.
The 19-year-old is set to become Australia’s youngest Test batting debutant in over 70 years. If Konstas, who turned 19 on October 2, is selected in the playing XI in the Boxing Day Test, he would become Australia’s youngest Test debutant since captain Pat Cummins, who was 18 years and 193 days old when he made his debut against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2011.
The teenager would also become the youngest specialist batter to debut for Australia since Ian Craig when he played against South Africa at the MCG in 1953 aged 17 years 239 days. Konstas’ inclusion follows a series of disappointing performances from the Australian top order in the first three Tests, especially McSweeney.
The 25-year-old, who made his Test debut in the series-opener in Perth, failed to score a single half century and could only manage scores of 10, 0, 39, 10 not out, 9 and 4 in his six innings and was dismissed by Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah four times.
Konstas had been in the reckoning to partner experienced Usman Khawaja after grabbing the attention of Cricket Australia’s selection committee following his twin Sheffield Shield centuries for New South Wales.
He had scored an unbeaten 73 at the MCG against India A while notching up a ton (107) in the Prime Ministers XI pink ball game against India in Canberra.