'We know he's good enough' - Pat Cummins backs Sam Konstas amid lean patch

Australian skipper Pat Cummins has expressed confidence in Sam Konstas' abilities, despite his poor showing so far in the ongoing Test series between West Indies and Australia. In the four innings Konstas has featured in so far, the 19-year-old has scored only 33 runs in total.

Cummins felt Konstas was 'good enough' for the rigour of Test cricket. He also shared a few tips for the youngster to keep in mind while going in to bat the next time he gets the opportunity. 

“Look, he's been good. I think for anyone who's starting out their Test career, you are kind of picked for a reason. We know he's good enough,” stated Cummins, as quoted by India Today.

“For someone like a batter, it might be, where are your scoring areas, what tempo do you normally operate at your best—and don't get too caught up in every inning feeling like the biggest thing in the world,” he remarked further.

The Aussie skipper advocated for time and patience to be granted to the young opener. The top-order batter was off to a promising start in his debut game, which came in the 2024-25 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He scored a brisk fifty in his maiden innings against a much more experienced Indian bowling attack. However, Konstas has struggled to maintain consistency since that particular match in Melbourne.

He has looked quite circumspect in the middle against the West Indians. The 33 runs have come in as many as 93 deliveries, and while strike-rate isn't an issue in red-ball cricket, the ace batter will be aiming to enhance his performances when Australia take West Indies on in the final game of the three-match series at Sabina Park in Jamaica.

The Cummins-led unit will go into that match with an unassailable 0-2 lead in place. They won the first and second matches of the series by 159 runs and 133 runs, respectively. They will be keen on completing a series rout of the hosts before moving onto the 20-over leg of the multi-format tour.