BGT: Merv Hughes Critiques Australia's Choice to Call Up Konstas

New Delhi, Dec 20 (NationPress) In light of young Sam Konstas being selected for the Australia Test squad for the final two matches against India, former cricketer Merv Hughes perceives this as a 'panic' decision from the hosts.

At just 19 years old, Konstas is now in contention to potentially make his debut in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) after Australia decided to drop Nathan McSweeney, who managed only 72 runs in the first three matches with an average of 14.40. McSweeney, not being a specialist opener, faced significant challenges against India's fast-bowling ace Jasprit Bumrah.

Hughes commented, “It would have been a bold call bringing him in at the start of the season. Now it would almost be a panic call to me... Just stay calm. They drew the last Test. The last two Tests have been a draw and a win, so what is there to panic about,” in an interview with The Courier Mail.

Konstas gained attention by scoring two centuries against South Australia in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield. These twin centuries also marked him as the first teenager to achieve this milestone in the Sheffield Shield since the iconic Ricky Ponting in 1993.

This year, Konstas was part of the Australian team that triumphed at the U19 World Cup in South Africa, and he also scored a century while representing the Prime Minister's XI against India in the pink-ball warm-up match at Manuka Oval in Canberra. Earlier this week, he became the youngest player in the BBL to secure a half-century for his team, Sydney Thunder.

It is reported that Konstas will compete for the Thunder in their BBL match against the Sydney Sixers on Sunday before heading to Melbourne on the same day to join the Australia Test team for a crucial match in the five-game series, which is currently tied at 1-1.