BGT – Boxing Day Test – Pat Cummins wants Sam Konstas to play like ‘you’re a kid in the backyard’

While Cummins said there is no less desire to achieve success purely because of a young age, he recalled his own feelings that there was less pressure given how quick his debut had been and his inexperience.

“I said this to Sam the other day; I remember thinking as an 18-year-old I’ve got a lot more leeway because I was young,” Cummins said. “I almost felt like if I didn’t have a great game, it wasn’t my fault, it was the voters’ fault because they picked me. It was like they were the idiots who picked an 18-year-old. You are so young starting your career it’s Boxing Day it doesn’t get any better than this so just enjoy the moment.

“I spent a little time wondering why or how I was there, how it had happened so quickly. I just remember being really excited and it’s like Sammy this week. There’s a level of naivety, that you just want to go out and play like you do when you’re a kid in the backyard – put on the game, have fun and don’t overthink it.

“That’s the message for Sam. That’s definitely how I felt as an 18-year-old, just really excited, and once the game starts you go into game mode and it’s just like any other game.”

Referring to a specific memory from his experience in Johannesburg, Cummins added: “On my debut I remember trying to hit Dale Steyn over his head for a run and just thought it made sense at the time, now look I’m back and it’s like ‘jeez, I’d have been crucified if it hadn’t come off, so I think there’s an advantage in that naivety.’

Konstas has had a strong support group who flew to Melbourne for his debut with friends, family and his mentor Shane Watson making the trip, but Cummins sensed one who handled his dramatic rise well.

“He’s pretty laid back, funny, happy to roll along with the jokes and take the mickey out of himself and others,” Cummins said. “We always encourage him to be himself. He looks like he’s got a good head on his shoulders for a 19-year-old, so we’re there supporting him.”

Konstas’ debut will be one of two changes for Australia from the Gabba Test, with Scott Boland returning to his home ground in place of the injured Josh Hazlewood. Travis Head underwent a fitness test on Christmas Day after coming away from Brisbane with a quad strain, but Cummins said he was “fully fit”.

Head has been the most successful batsman in the series with 409 runs in five innings, including back-to-back centuries in Adelaide and Brisbane. The second best is KL Rahul’s 235 runs. He would have been a giant hole to fill in the batting order. “He’s hitting the ball as well as I’ve ever seen anybody, so long may it continue,” Cummins said.

Should the Melbourne Test go the distance, there will only be a three-day turnaround for the final match at the SCG on January 3, which could present some challenges for the quicks, although speaking on Christmas Eve head coach Andrew McDonald was confident of Cummins and Mitchell Starc would be able to get through. With the Adelaide Test being short and Brisbane having a bad effect from the rain, the overall workload has not been too high.