Sam Konstas, Australia’s 19-year-old pick to open the innings in the tour of the West Indies, has seen his campaign turn into a nightmare, with the youngster setting an unwanted record. His disastrous form makes him the Australian opener with the lowest batting average in the Caribbean since 1984.Brought in to open in place of Marnus Labuschagne, Konstas had started his Test career with promise, scoring a half-century on debut against India at the MCG. But his numbers against the West Indies have been extremely poor. In six innings, he has managed only 50 runs at an average of 8.33, ending with a five-ball duck in his final outing as Shamar Joseph dismissed him.Australia, despite being 2-0 up in the three-match series and maintaining the upper hand in the ongoing day-night Test at Sabina Park, have reasons to worry. Konstas’ struggles against the moving ball and pace-friendly conditions have left a big question mark over the opening slot ahead of the Ashes later this year.
Poll
Should Sam Konstas be replaced as the opener for the remaining Test matches?
Konstas now joins an unfortunate list featuring only Alec Bannerman, Rick Darling, Wayne Phillips, and Keith Stackpole as batters who have scored fewer runs as openers in a series than his 50. The call to replace Labuschagne with him hasn’t paid off, and the team is now under pressure to rethink the top-order combination.However, things haven’t been all bad for the teenager. Despite his struggles with the bat, Konstas impressed in the field, showing sharp reflexes to dismiss Justin Greaves via a run-out on Day 2. His near-perfect throw from the boundary helped the Aussies dismiss Greaves as he attempted a triple.
