In Melbourne, Konstas and Reddy Seize the Opportunity, Showing No Anxiety as Emerging Talents
In Melbourne, Konstas and Reddy Seize the Opportunity, Showing No Anxiety as Emerging Talents
There's something about youth's unseen perspective that overlooks issues. Australian captain Pat Cummins told Sam Konstas to face his initial Test at Melbourne as if a kid playing in his own backyard. True to form, the 19-year-old did just that, scoring 60 on the first day at the MCG. Konstas had the courage to venture because he lives for the moment, knowing there would be numerous such moments ahead.
Concurrently, 21-year-old Nitish Kumar Reddy demonstrates no apprehension in tackling Test matches as if they were an organic extension of his life. When India crumbled to 150 all out in Perth, it was Reddy who stood firm with a valiant debut innings. Regardless of the senior players' failures, he maintained his composure. Reddy's 114 at Melbourne - scored when India was in a predicament once more - was another showcase of unwavering confidence.
As Mark Rampraksah of Jacob Bethell mentioned in his Guardian column, young players often approach the game with a delightful naivety. They are not daunted by being challenged to elevate their game. Instead, they can be oblivious to the pressure and venture into the fray with no expectations and little to lose.
Ramprakash, who was once earmarked for a brilliant future in international cricket, often fell prey to an intensity that suffocated rather than liberated his exceptional talents. Bethell had no doubt. "Not at all really. Pretty much every time I've played against better players, I've played better," the new English No.3 said after he was propelled into Ben Stokes's team.
The mental energy invested in fretting about succeeding or failing seems to be a foreign concept to Konstas and Reddy, who combined have accumulated 40 years of age. See the ball. Hit the ball. Simplicity prevails. When Konstas emerged at Melbourne, he swept Jasprit Bumrah for 18 off an over. It was fresh. It was exhilarating. It almost stopped Bumrah from grinning. This was youth's electrifying display, fully aware and confident of its technique against the best. The worst that could happen was to leave the field in wonder. That's not what teenagers do.
When Konstas was asked about the shoulder barge he received from his idol, Virat Kohli, the teenager dismissed it effortlessly. It was "just cricket." Then he mimicked the simulation to the Indian fans in the crowd. This exhibited the nonchalance of someone who belongs.
"I love to be a match-winner so I have no excuse not to work hard," Reddy stated in a recent interview with ESPNcricinfo. He appears ready for every challenge that comes with the cricket field. The wear and tear of the treadmill is yet to come. Tinkering excessively is for those who search for a solution too intensely. Cricket can deceive anyone, so why fret about the minor details?
After scoring 41 and 38 at Perth, Reddy spoke about the moment he matured in his early cricketing life in a video released by the BCCI. "My father abandoned his job for me, and there have been numerous sacrifices behind my story. One day, I saw him weeping because of our financial struggles, and I thought, this is not how it should be... that my father made the sacrifices so I could play cricket just for fun."
Reddy grew up quickly. The enjoyment remains, however. In the 21st century, sports are a serious business. It calls for someone to burst the bubble and groupthink. Worse things occur at sea.
"Play as if it means nothing, when it means everything," once said six-time snooker world champion Steve Davis. It's the initial part of that advice that encapsulates the smile and enjoyment Reddy and Konstas bring to the field in the cutthroat world of Test match cricket. They are in the crucible, but they play with the calmness of a refrigerated cabinet.
- Jacob Bethell, in his Guardian column, emphasized that young players like Sam Konstas and Nitish Kumar Reddy approach the game with a joyous naivety, unaffected by pressure, just like how Konstas played at the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground with 60 runs on the first day.
- During the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Jacob Bethell's successor, Ben Stokes, praised Konstas's composure, acknowledging that he had managed to excel against better players and remained unaffected by the intensity, much like how Virat Kohli's idol reacted when Konstas scored 18 runs off an over against Jasprit Bumrah.
- During Australia v India's Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Sam Konstas demonstrated the simplicity of being a young player, hitting the ball and sweeping Bumrah for 18 runs, showing the same confidence exhibited by 21-year-old Nitish Kumar Reddy, who stood firm with a valiant debut innings despite India crumbling to 150 all out in Perth, mirroring the nonchalant spirit of Jacob Bethell, who played well against better players despite being earmarked for a promising international career.