NEW DELHI: Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has advised the Australian selectors to include young opener Sam Konstas in the playing XI for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka in Galle.
With Australia having already secured a spot in the ICC World Test Championship final against South Africa, they can approach the Sri Lanka series with a relaxed mindset.
Ponting believes that Konstas, who impressed during his debut against India in the Boxing Day Test, should be given an opportunity to gain valuable experience in the challenging Sri Lankan conditions.
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“I think they will pick Konstas and I think they should pick Konstas. He is the one they have identified, he has hit the ground running here in his first innings as well. He provided a lot of entertainment and a lot of buzz around that whole series (against India),” Ponting told Sydney Morning Herald.
“I think they need to play him, to be honest. It is a hard place to play and a hard place to win. It will be a hard place to bat for all of our guys, but especially some of the younger guys who have not experienced those conditions much in the past. But I think they should pick him, it will be a great learning experience for him.”
The 19-year-old showcased positive intent and the ability to unsettle the Indian bowlers, scoring 113 runs in four innings.
While Australia is considering shuffling their batting order to accommodate the spin-friendly conditions in Sri Lanka, with Travis Head potentially opening alongside Usman Khawaja, Ponting emphasised the importance of investing in Konstas’ Test career.
“I would be picking him if I was a selector,” he added. “I think the order will stay the same. I think it will be the same with the option they have is maybe playing another spinner. They will have Beau Webster there who will give the seam-up overs, one of the quicks is going to miss out, so Cooper Connolly might find himself in a 7 or 8 batting spot and bowling a few overs as well.”
