Kohli’s Wrists, Pujara’s Perseverance, Smith’s Offside Play: Konstas Creates His Dream Batter
The young Aussie opener also mentioned that he would love to have the aggressiveness and range of AB de Villiers.
Sam Konstas will be opening the batting for Australia in the first Test in the West Indies starting tomorrow, as his Test career has gone from strength to strength after making his debut against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).
In the buildup to the Windies Test series, Konstas got an opportunity to make his dream batter in a video released by Cricket.com.au, and he began by saying that he wishes to have Virat Kohli’s wrists and his leg-side play.
“I feel his wrists are incredible. The way he accesses the leg side.. I’ve been growing up watching him play. Big idol,” Konstas said on Kohli, with whom he had quite a few heated moments during the BGT.
“I think the emotions got to both of us,” Konstas later told Channel 7.
Apart from Kohli, Konstas said that he would love his dream batter to bat as long as Cheteshwar Pujara, who wore down the Australian bowlers with his perseverance at the crease and was instrumental in India winning two back-to-back BGTs in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21.
“He was so technically sound. Likes to bat for a long period and he has been very solid,” he said of Pujara.
Apart from Pujara and Kohli, Konstas said that he would love Steve Smith’s off-side play, and AB de Villers’ aggressive and 360-degree stroke play.
“He is the best in the world in my opinion and the one I look forward to bat together in the coming days,” Konstas said of Smith.
He also added that he would like to have Jos Buttler’s ramp shot, David Warner’s running between the wickets, Usman Khawaja’s composure and the aura of Shane Warne.