Andrew McDonald backs Sam Konstas depsite failing in first Test against WI

Australia`s head coach, Andrew McDonald, feels that teenager Sam Konstas needs time after his underwhelming show at the Kensington Oval in the opening Test match against the West Indies.

“It felt like he was stuck at times and was overaggressive and then underplayed. It`s really that balance and tempo. He`s got that there, and that`s a step-up to Test cricket [when] the pressure`s on. He`s got a really good partner down the other end. All we ask for is a bit of patience and time with it,” McDonald said as quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald.

In the Test match against the Caribbean team, Konstas registered the scores of three runs in 14 balls and five runs off 38 deliveries in both innings of the game.

Previously, during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Team India, the right-hander had scored 60 runs in front of a sold-out crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Further speaking, McDonald stated that Konstas knows his deficiencies and he will learn to play with what he`s got in him.

“We`ve had some conversations around potentially, if you`re in that situation again, what does that look like? He knows his deficiencies. He`ll learn to play with what he`s got. These guys are on a journey. They`re starting out, and some people get there faster than others,” said the 44-year-old.

The head coach did not hold himself back from heaping praise on Travis Head and Beau Webster, who struck a crucial partnership against the West Indies bowling attack.

“We were definitely put under pressure throughout that whole game. Incredible partnership from Travis [Head] and Beau [Webster] to navigate through and give us something to bowl at. The wicket surprised us. There was enough seam and variable bounce, which made it difficult for batting,” said McDonald.

“It`s a step into the unknown [in Grenada]. We`ll make an educated guess as to what the surface may do. I think it could lend itself to being a pace bowling-dominated series if they keep the surfaces similar to that,” he concluded.

After being bowled out for 180 runs, Australia bounced back by cleaning up the West Indies for 190 runs. In Australia`s second innings, the `Baggy Greens` registered a score of 310 runs and later restricted the Caribbean to 141 runs. With this, the Pat Cummins-led side registered a victory by 159 runs in Barbados.

Head was named as the `Player of the Match` for his knock of 59 and 61 runs, respectively in both innings.

(With ANI Inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day