The young Australian batter Sam Konstas is currently making headlines not just because of his superb performance in his debut test match but also for hitting some big shots on the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah and also because of altercation with the Indian star cricketer Virat Kohli.
However, not many people know that Sam Konstas was part of the Australian team that triumphed over India by 79 runs in the final of the U19 World Cup 2024. The right-handed batter from New South Wales did not score in the final match held in Benoni on February 11. However, less than a year later, he made his Test debut for Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the Boxing Day Test and shone with a brilliant half-century.
The 19 years old cricketer became the second youngest Australian batter to score a Test fifty on December 26. He also joined an elite group of cricketers, becoming only the fourth U19 World Cup winner in history to debut in Tests within the same year.
Here is the list of those four cricketers:
1. Mohammad Kaif:
Mohammed Kaif captained India to victory in the U19 World Cup 2000, leading his team to a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka on January 28. He made his Test debut on March 2, 2000, against South Africa in Bengaluru, scoring 12 and 23 in his first match. During his six-year international career, Kaif played 13 Tests and 125 ODIs, amassing 624 and 2,753 runs respectively.
2. Alzarri Joseph:
Alzarri Joseph is a fast bowler who helped West Indies win the U19 World Cup 2016 under Shimron Hetmyer’s captaincy. Alzarri Joseph took 13 wickets during the tournament and debuted in Tests on August 9, 2016, against India in Gros Islet. He claimed three wickets in the first innings, including the prized wicket of Virat Kohli.
3. Prithvi Shaw:
Prithvi Shaw may have been making headlines currently for all the wrong reason but he was the one who led India to the U19 World Cup title in January 2018 and made his Test debut later that year on October 4 against West Indies in Rajkot. Prithvi Shaw impressed with a century in his debut innings, scoring 134 runs and becoming the youngest Indian to achieve this feat. He has since played for India across formats, though his last international appearance was in July 2021.
4. Sam Konstas
Sam Konstas won the U19 World Cup for Australia on February 11, 2024, and made his Test debut on December 26, 2024, against India. In his first match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Konstas delivered a stellar performance, smashing 60 runs off just 65 balls and proving his potential on the international stage.
Who among these cricketers is the most talented in your opinion?
