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Former India head coach Ravi Shastri gave a piece of advice to young Australian opener Sam Konstas to focus on his "strengths" and play the way he wants.
When Konstas stepped in front of a sold-out crowd at the iconic MCG in the Boxing Day Test against India, nobody expected it would be a debut to remember. At the age of just 19, the young tyro took on the world's best fast bowler of current times, Jasprit Bumrah, and laid the foundation of the beginning of his swashbuckling performance. After fending off a couple of deliveries, Konstas perfectly executed a ramp shot off Bumrah over the head of wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant to pick up a six. The Indian team watched in silence at that moment as the Australian crowd roared and celebrated in jubilation. It was just the beginning of the power-packed show that Konstas went on to exhibit against a famed Indian pace attack. He spared no quick and left no stone unturned to thrash the bowlers, producing a spectacle that will be remembered for years to come. "I think it was more the exuberance of youth. He was like a cat on a hot tin roof. He wanted to announce himself straight away," Shastri told The ICC Review. "There was a lot of talk. He's someone who'll take the attack to the opposition. And he wanted to walk the talk. And he did that," he added. When Konstas pulled off the ramp shot, the look on Bumrah's face suggested the hard time he had while trying to digest the first six he conceded in years. His swashbuckling 60-run knock came to an end when Ravindra Jadeja exposed his Achilles heel. The left-arm spinner perfectly trapped Konstas in front of the stumps, ending his exuberant knock in Melbourne. Shastri, who closely spectated the carnage that Konstas spread at the MCG, advised him to focus on his strength and express himself the way he likes. "He flustered India, there's no doubt about that, in Melbourne. But my advice to him would be 'you've got talent, the focus should be on scoring runs more than anything else'. You focus on your strengths. You play the way you want," he said. Konstas did enough to impress the Australian selectors and confirm his ticket to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test tour beginning at the end of this month. According to Shastri, playing away from his home turf will help Konstas mature and learn a lot of other things as he continues the journey to success. "I think the tour of Sri Lanka in many ways will help. Getting out of Australia, playing overseas, and then getting to learn a lot of other things and maturing," he added. (ANI)
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