Sam Konstas: Are you on board with him?

[Coops93]

You’ve got to weigh up whether its output and nett result is going to be greater than the alternative.

The obvious comparison for now is, and will always be, England.

England have decided that a very mediocre batsman like Crawley (let’s leave Duckett aside because his 40 average is decent enough to earn him a spot regardless of how he does it) can keep a spot because the ‘disruption’ he causes to the opposition when he lasts more than a few overs is worth more than the few extra runs a more sedate batsman might average than Crawley’s bog-ordinary 33 or whatever it is.

They think that the 1 test every 3 or 4 that he might set up for them at 0-80 after 12 overs is worth the pain of the other 2-3 where he leaves them 1-10 after 2 overs every time he goes out to bat.

If they want him to do that they need to balance out what they think the minimum pay off is

Have they actually said they're picking him because of some disruption he causes? I've never seen that.

What I have seen them say is that the pick him because of the potential peak he can provide, which while rare is excellent, and the expectation that he will love the pace and bounce on our pitches - which is crucial as England basically live from Ashes cycle to Ashes cycle as opposed to just playing what's in front of them, like everyone else does.

 

[Carn The Berries]

Bumrah is a bully? His reaction was influenced by what Kohli since others were copying what Konstas did, Brumrah and Jaiswal after they bowled and caught him.

By bully I meant the Indian team as a whole, not specifically Bumrah. His reactions to Konstas so far have been quite out of character.

 

[PhatBoy]

Have they actually said they're picking him because of some disruption he causes? I've never seen that.

What I have seen them say is that the pick him because of the potential peak he can provide, which while rare is excellent, and the expectation that he will love the pace and bounce on our pitches - which is crucial as England basically live from Ashes cycle to Ashes cycle as opposed to just playing what's in front of them, like everyone else does.

Hence my last sentence.

 

[ABAB]

By bully I meant the Indian team as a whole, not specifically Bumrah. His reactions to Konstas so far have been quite out of character.

Not sure the whole Indian team did, probably some who are more influence by Kohli.

 

[Obeanie1]

Got to laugh at the Indian coach coming out about the sledging and bullying Konstas saying it's a tough game played by tough men. If you can't take it you aren't up to it.

Lol.

So a 19 yr old in his first two games played with a bit of swagger and confidence and the Indian cricket gods didn't like getting beaten by someone so young. And collectively they cracked it and lost the plot overreacting.

Would really like the Indian cricket coach to explain why grown men with a decade of international experience collectively attacked a 19 yr old in his 2nd game?

Are they threatened?

Angry?

Or just so arrogant they can't take it when a kid outplays them?

Nothing the Indians did was tough. It was a collective spit the dummy and throw the toys out the cot IMO. A bunch of entitled big heads.

 

[Carn The Berries]

Got to laugh at the Indian coach coming out about the sledging and bullying Konstas saying it's a tough game played by tough men. If you can't take it you aren't up to it.

Lol.

So a 19 yr old in his first two games played with a bit of swagger and confidence and the Indian cricket gods didn't like getting beaten by someone so young. And collectively they cracked it and lost the plot overreacting.

Would really like the Indian cricket coach to explain why grown men with a decade of international experience collectively attacked a 19 yr old in his 2nd game?

Are they threatened?

Angry?

Or just so arrogant they can't take it when a kid outplays them?

Nothing the Indians did was tough. It was a collective spit the dummy and throw the toys out the cot IMO. A bunch of entitled big heads.

It was a reaction to a young kid who acted like a bit of a douche... People are trying to make out that the Indians burned him at the stake.

I kinda agree with what Ghambir said... In this instance, Konstas initiated the situation.

 

[ABAB]

It was a reaction to a young kid who acted like a bit of a douche... People are trying to make out that the Indians burned him at the stake.

I kinda agree with what Ghambir said... In this instance, Konstas initiated the situation.

Nah, Kohli initiated it with him bump and some jump onboard as they are influenced by Kohli so anything Konstas did they were going to massively react. Ghambir has just admitted they were aggressive.

 

[PhatBoy]

Got to laugh at the Indian coach coming out about the sledging and bullying Konstas saying it's a tough game played by tough men. If you can't take it you aren't up to it.

Lol.

So a 19 yr old in his first two games played with a bit of swagger and confidence and the Indian cricket gods didn't like getting beaten by someone so young. And collectively they cracked it and lost the plot overreacting.

Would really like the Indian cricket coach to explain why grown men with a decade of international experience collectively attacked a 19 yr old in his 2nd game?

Are they threatened?

Angry?

Or just so arrogant they can't take it when a kid outplays them?

Nothing the Indians did was tough. It was a collective spit the dummy and throw the toys out the cot IMO. A bunch of entitled big heads.

or they decided that they could try and intimidate him into getting himself out and one player did something unacceptable in attempting to do that.

 

[Carn The Berries]

Nah, Kohli initiated it with him bump and some jump onboard as they are influenced by Kohli so anything Konstas did they were going to massively react. Ghambir has just admitted they were aggressive.

That's not true. The bump thing was over and done with. If Konstas hadn't have stuck his nose in when Bumrah got snarky about being ready to bowl there is zero chance the Indians react that way when they got Usman out. If it was the bump that instigated it they would have rushed him when they knocked him over in the second dig in Melbourne.

 

[Carn The Berries]

or they decided that they could try and intimidate him into getting himself out and one player did something unacceptable in attempting to do that.

Which he absolutely should have been punished for, rather than being slapped on the wrist with a piece of wet lettuce

 

[ABAB]

That's not true. The bump thing was over and done with. If Konstas hadn't have stuck his nose in when Bumrah got snarky about being ready to bowl there is zero chance the Indians react that way when they got Usman out. If it was the bump that instigated it they would have rushed him when they knocked him over in the second dig in Melbourne.

No, what I said was some of them would have overreacted to anything Konstas did after the bump.

 

[PhatBoy]

Which he absolutely should have been punished for, rather than being slapped on the wrist with a piece of wet lettuce

Of Course he should have been.

 

[Carn The Berries]

No, what I said was some of them would have overreacted to anything Konstas did after the bump.

Even more reason for Konstas to not get involved... Particularly something that has nothing to do with him.

 

[western royboy]

Whether he’s right or wrong he has the cricketing IQ of a grape relative to other past internationals.

Very,very incorrect. The performer Hoggy, says it to get clicks because he knows it’s going to get him another gig.

The cricket person Hoggy is actually a very astute analyst but that doesn’t pay the bills

 

[PhatBoy]

Very,very incorrect. The performer Hoggy, says it to get clicks because he knows it’s going to get him another gig.

The cricket person Hoggy is actually a very astute analyst but that doesn’t pay the bills

He was for a time an elite level coach or bordering on it before the game moved beyond him.

If he was that cluey he could have parlayed his knowledge into more and better coaching gigs or better media gigs rather than the odd radio slot.

You don’t get paid by people ringing you for a quote or having you as a guest on their show.

 

[western royboy]

He was for a time an elite level coach or bordering on it before the game moved beyond him.

If he was that cluey he could have parlayed his knowledge into more and better coaching gigs or better media gigs rather than the odd radio slot.

You don’t get paid by people ringing you for a quote or having you as a guest on their show.

Does a shit load of “cashies”

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

That's not true. The bump thing was over and done with. If Konstas hadn't have stuck his nose in when Bumrah got snarky about being ready to bowl there is zero chance the Indians react that way when they got Usman out. If it was the bump that instigated it they would have rushed him when they knocked him over in the second dig in Melbourne.

Agreed. I was on his side in the Kohli incident, Kohli 100% to blame, however I was on Bumrah's side in the other incident. IMHO, Bumrah had every reason to be annoyed to find Khawaja walking in from off the pitch rather than being ready to take strike. Not blaming Khawaja, we've seen 100s of batsmen over the years deploying the same tactic, I just wish it would stop.

 

[Soggy2112]

Sports fans are a fickle bunch. Have a look at how quickly people have turned against JFM. These same people were screaming at JFM to be included in the World Cup team.

Kid is no doubt immensely talented but hopefully he doesn't get ruined based on the instructions given. As Pant found out in Melbourne, a batter's batting style is fine when winning, when losing, different kettle of fish.

On a seperate issue, I'd like the media to ask McDonald why McSweeney wasn't given carte blanche for the fourth test and see how that plan would work, or was the plan only ever going to apply to a 19yo kid.

I’d say it was probably an educated guess that if all out aggression was the plan to Bumrah, Konstas was more likely to execute that plan than McSweeney. As with a lot of the calls that Bailey, McDonald and Cummins have made, you’d say it was correct.

I think McSweeney was stiff to be dropped as he actually handled himself pretty well, given he probably faced the hardest tests he’s ever going to. However, I think he’d be satisfied that his career is in a pretty good place with the spots that will be opening up in the batting order in the next 5 years.