NSW coach Shipperd backs Konstas to come good during international debut

Melbourne [Australia], December 20 (ANI): Young batting sensation Sam Konstas's coach at New South Wales (NSW), Greg Shipperd backed the 19-year-old to come good in his potential international debut during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, saying that the batter is "full of confidence" and knows "how to score runs and take the game on".
Konstas recieved his maiden call-up from the national team as host Australia announced their Test squad for the remaining two matches of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 which are set to be played in Melbourne and Sydney.
Speaking to SEN, Shipperd said it is a nice time to call up the youngster, questioning, "I guess, is anyone ever ready?."
"You never know until you're exposed to it and the way he is playing full of confidence, that is a great starting point, and he knows how to score runs so he'll take the game on."
"It could be a win-win situation for Australia... he could go particularly well or even if he doesn't do that, he has got some experience at the highest level which will serve him and the country well over the future, which I suggest would involve Sam Konstas playing a lot of cricket," he concluded.
Konstas played a vital role in Australia's ICC U19 World Cup 2024 triumph, scoring 191 runs in seven innings at an average of 27.28, including a century. He also featured in a two-match series between Australia A and India A ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring 92 runs in four innings, highlighted by a match-winning 73*. In the warm-up pink-ball game against India, he stamped his authority with a classy 107 off 97 balls against a formidable Indian attack.
In the ongoing Sheffield Shield season, Konstas is the fifth-highest run-getter with 471 runs in five matches at an average of 58.87, including two centuries and a fifty, with a best score of 152. (ANI)