Updated:2024-12-25 08:16 Views:104
Sam Konstas. Photo: X/Cricketcomau Sam Konstas. Photo: X/Cricketcomau Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has confirmed that 19-year-old batting sensation Sam Konstas will make his debut in the Boxing Day Test match against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, kicking off on Thursday, December 26. (Full Coverage | More Cricket News)
The youngster will also become the youngest-ever male cricketer to open the batting for Australia in the longest format of the game.
The Kogarah-born was included in the squad in place of 25-year-old Nathan McSweeney after his struggles in the first three Tests of the series against the new ball.
The stadium is a cauldron of emotion as India's hockey team battles it out. A chorus of "India, India" fills the air, a collective heartbeat of the nation. And amidst all this frenzy, one name sounds with electric potential—Sarpanch Sahab.
gambino slotsHe is in! Sam Konstas is set to make his Test debut on Boxing Day while a star batter remains an uncertainty #AUSvINDMORE: https://t.co/ImefAIvmLd pic.twitter.com/olf48W6yYJ
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 24, 2024The five-match series is currently tied 1-1 with matches in Melbourne and Sydney yet to be played.
Konstas will also join an elite list as the fourth-youngest Test cricketer and the youngest to debut since 2011, where current skipper Pat Cummins made his debut in Johannesburg against South Africa.
However, to add to Australia’s batting struggles, Travis Head is not a definite starter for the Melbourne Test after the 30-year-old picked up a quad strain in the third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Scott Boland is also set to make a return in the fourth Test and is expected to replace the injured Josh Hazlewood.
India Vs Australia SquadsIndia Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Tanush Kotian
Australia Squad: Pat Cummins (C), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starclucky cola, Beau Webster.