As Jasprit Bumrah was making mince meat of Australia’s top order again, teenage turbo Sam Konstas couldn’t stay out of the headlines.
But beware the ever growing urge to throw Konstas into the Test side in place of a prodding Nathan McSweeney, ageing Usman Khawaja or flailing Marnus Labuschagne.
There is ample evidence to suggest the 19-year-old eserves a baggy green cap given the way this series has been unfolding. Labuschagne is currently averaging 16.4, McSweeney 14.4 and Khawaja 12.6.
At least Labuschagne has made a half-century and should be in his prime at age 30. Is McSweeney, the Queenslander who became South Australia’s solid skipper, up to it? Is Khawaja, who turned 38 this week, past it?
These questions only grew as Bumrah reduced Australia to 5-33 on Wednesday before more rain finally ended a soggy third Test in Brisbane.
Meanwhile, the night before, Konstas had smacked the fastest half-century by a Sydney Thunder player, reaching 50 in 20 balls on the way to 56 as the Thunder changed home to beat the Adelaide Strikers.
While clubbing 18 from a James Bazley over at Canberra’s Manuka Oval is hardly the same as keeping Bumrah at bay on a seaming Gabba pitch, it heightened another question, ‘is there anything this kid can’t do?’
It came after his century from just 90 balls against India for the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra earlier this month.
The opening batter exploded with back to back centuries in the first Sheffield Shield match for NSW this summer and currently has 471 runs in five games at 58.88.
Between Shield matches he turned out for Australia A against India. After three low scores Konstas made an unbeaten 73 to end the mini-series.

Usman Khawaja is bowled by Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo by Albert Perez – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
So why not chuck him in? Six players have debuted for Australia as 19-year-olds and he couldn’t do any worse than the current lot, surely?
Well maybe not, but it could ruin his confidence and stunt his progress if a kid with so little elite cricket behind him is asked to front up against Bumrah, unquestionably the best bowler in the world.
One of Australia’s all-time greats, Matthew Hayden, was 22 when he debuted for Australia in South Africa during March 1994 as a replacement for the ill Mark Taylor.
Hayden scored 15 and 5 at the Wanderers in Johannesburg and suffered a broken finger courtesy of Allan Donald. The burly left-hander did not play Test cricket again for three years, had a short stint back in the side, and was dropped from another three years.
It wasn’t until his majestic 2001 tour of India that Hayden really cemented his place in the Australia team.
And the other half of the greatest opening partnership ever to set forth for Australia, Justin Langer, had a similarly rocky ride.
Langer debuted against the might of the West Indies during December 1993 and scored a courageous half-century at the Adelaide Oval as Australia fought for a victory that would dethrone the Caribbean Champions as the best Test team in the world.
Ian Bishop at his ferocious best was charging in on a dark Adelaide day with the Moreton Bay Figs behind him, striking Langer flush on the coat of arms adorning his helmet. Langer staggered away before returning to the crease, something that would never be allowed today.
But for all his heroics Langer was in and out of the team as a stodgy No. 3 and his career looked in jeopardy after being dropped for the start of the 2001 Ashes. It was only after a wayward Michael Slater was surprisingly dropped for the last Test that Langer received an unexpected chance.

Sam Konstas. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
As they walked out to bat Hayden told his great mate “I want you to show me some courage today”, and Langer danced to a century almost eight years after his debut in a manner previously unseen from the little battler. The rest, as they say, is history.
The Konstas question is far from straightforward. Steve Waugh was of the view that players should be picked when they’re hot because that’s when they’re at their most confident. And who knows if Konstas going to be hot again at the beginning of next season when England arrive?
The matter is complicated by the fact that Australia are likely to use only one recognised opener on the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka immediately following the India series. Travis Head is expected to open the batting on the flat, grassless pitches to take advantage of the new ball.
Khawaja is keen to play on and may be retained for his experience on subcontinental pitches. The Sri Lanka series is Australia’s last in the current World Test Championship cycle. They need to win at least two of their remaining four Tests with two draws to qualify for the final. Australia are currently second behind South Africa and only marginally ahead of India.
Whatever happens, it would be far more sensible for Australia’s next big thing to make his debut against a transitioning England attack featuring Matthew Potts, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and spinner Shoaib Basheer instead of the surgically destructive Bumrah.
It is likely to be worth the wait.
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