Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, has urged patience with Sam Konstas as the rookie batter seeks consistency in Tests. The 19-year-old scored 25 and 0 in Australia’s second Test victory over the West Indies in Grenada, continuing a dry spell with the bat since his spectacular maiden half-century against India at the MCG late last year.
Konstas, regarded as a long-term option at the top of Australia’s batting order, has not reached 30 in his last several innings. Despite the recent slump in form, Cummins voiced confidence in the teenager’s abilities. Pat Cummins pushed him to maintain concentration ahead of a critical era in Australian cricket.
Cummins underlined the necessity of investing in potential talent like Konstas ahead of the high-stakes Ashes series against England at the end of the year, which is a key element of the new ICC World Test Championship cycle 2025-27.
“Look, he has been good. I believe that anyone who is just starting out in his Test career is chosen for a purpose, and we know he is capable. So I believe it’s all about focussing on what makes you a great player. For someone like a hitter, it may be where your scoring spots are, what tempo do you generally operate at, and don’t get too caught up in every innings feeling like the biggest thing in the world,” Cummins said following Australia’s 133-run victory over the West Indies.
“I believe the statistics show that even the best batters in the world do not hit their average three out of four times. You’re more likely to fail than to succeed. two, as long as you’re a quick learner, as long as you’re moving well and giving yourself the best chance, just keep doubling down on it and judge yourself after a series or two, rather than innings by innings,” he continued.
Australia’s victory in the second Test against the West Indies has propelled them to the top of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 standings, where they hope to go to the WTC Final for the third time in a row.
Pat Cummins’ side are off to a strong start in the new cycle.
After clinching the WTC title in 2023 by defeating India, Australia found themselves on the losing end last month, falling to South Africa in the WTC Final at Lord’s. He expressed satisfaction with the start but remained grounded about the road ahead.
“It’s a dream start really. Two from two, gets us into the cycle. Really pumped with how we bounced back after Lord’s a couple of weeks ago. It’s been a good couple of weeks,” Cummins said.
The upcoming third Test of the ongoing series between West Indies and Australia will present a new challenge for both teams, as they face off in a day-night pink-ball contest at Sabina Park, Jamaica. The match will be even more unique because of the introduction of a new Dukes ball in day-night conditions and Cummins admitted the team is entering an unfamiliar territory.
“We’ve been trying to get our hands on some (pink-balls) but we haven’t got some yet. Hopefully they’re waiting for us in Jamaica. My experience in pink-ball (Tests) in Australia is you never quite know what you’re going to get. We’ve played a lot, but things can change really quickly so even when you feel like you’re on top things can change quite fast,” Cummins concluded.
India
