'I've worked on controlling my emotions' - Sam Konstas reflects on MCG debut ahead of West Indies Test

Australian opener Sam Konstas believes he has made significant progress since his debut, where he scored a half-century against India. The 19-year-old has been confirmed in Australia's playing XI for the first Test against the West Indies, which begins on June 25.

Konstas, who did not feature in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 is expected to open the innings alongside Usman Khawaja in the Caribbean since Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped from the squad. He reflected on his debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and admitted it was his first experience playing in front of a large crowd but said he managed to keep his emotions in check.

“There were quite a few lessons - one was my mental side. That was my first time playing in front of a big crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), so I've worked on trying to control my emotions better,” he told cricket.com.au.

"The second thing would be technical. I've been working on a few things with my front foot, opening it up slightly to get better access. It just helps work on my defence, as I felt there may be a slight weakness in that. Those are the two things I'm working on and hopefully hold me in a good stead for the next few games," he added.

The top-order batter admitted that he communicated constantly with Khawaja, both on and off the field. He mentioned that he is actively seeking guidance from senior players to help him navigate the different phases of the match.

"It was good reflecting and having a bit of time off to try to strengthen my game up. I chat to Usman Khawaja all the time on and off the field, whenever we train, I always try to get advice from Uzzie, Marnus [Labuschagne] or [Steve] Smith just seeing how they go about it,” Konstas said.

"I just want to be myself and understand when to take on the game and when to soak up the pressure to win games for Australia,” he added.

Grateful for the opportunity, hopefully I grab it: Konstas

The young opener conceded he is currently focusing on key areas of his batting as he continues to develop his game. He also admitted feeling fortunate to be in this position at such a young age and experiencing different cultures along the way.

“Obviously it's a tough team to crack into as we've got legends of the game in that team. For me, hopefully I grab my opportunity because it's such a strong side and I'm very grateful for that. I've been trying to focus on a few key areas with my batting coach, and I feel like I've come a long way, so hopefully I can display that in the next few Test matches. It's been good training with the whole group and getting to know everyone a lot more," the Aussie concluded.