Pressing for his case for the second opener’s slot in the Australian side ahead of the all-important five-Test Ashes, starting November 21 against England, young opening batter Sam Konstas wants to make the most of the upcoming two four-day games against India A and hopes to lean on the experience gained during his maiden senior team tour to the West Indies earlier this year.
“It’s massive, it’s going to be a big four games, and I expect that. For me, it’s just trying to best prepare, and then obviously trusting what I think is right in that current moment,” the youngster said in an interview to ESPNCricinfo.
“It was my first time playing in the West Indies (Australia’s recent Test series in the Caribbean), and first time facing those bowlers. They bowled well, and hopefully I can build from that experience,” he added.
The opening batter had a forgettable tour to the Caribbean with scores of 3, 5, 25, 0, 17 and 0 in the three Tests.
The 19-year-old hopes to adopt the right mindset and train hard, while trusting his conversations with some of the senior players like Steve Smith and former Test star David Warner.
“I am very lucky to be working with the best in the world. I’m still learning about my game and finding what works in different conditions,” he said.
“Understanding the situations, when to soak up pressure [and] when to attack the game.
“I just like his (Warner) mindset, he takes the game on, and he’s very aggressive. He’s always trying to dictate terms in the way he likes to.”
While Australia chair of selectors George Bailey hopes Australia ‘A’ will help him get back his lost touch, Konstas also has captain Pat Cummins’ backing ahead of Australia’s first home series in the new World Test Championship cycle.
“As an athlete, you’re going to go through failures and successes, but I tell you, build from those failures and become a better person and cricketer,” Konstas added.