Ex-Australian Skipper Tim Paine Identifies Sam Konstas As Long-Term Replacement For Usman Khawaja

Former Australian skipper Tim Paine picked up young batting star Sam Konstas as a replacement for opening batter Usman Khawaja in Tests if the veteran hung up his boots. Paine was speaking on SEN as Konstas participated in the two-match unofficial Test series against India A. Konstas first taste of major success was securing the ICC U19 World Cup title win with Australia this year. In the tournament, Konstas scored 191 runs in seven innings at an average of 27.28, including a century.

During the India A-Australia A series, Konstas auditioned for Australia's opener search, as an injury to all-rounder Cameron Green and mixed results have resulted in Steve Smith sliding down the order just four Tests worth of sample size following David Warner's retirement. During the series, Konstas failed in first match, scoring 0 and 16. In the second match at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the batter scored three in the first innings and followed it with a match-winning 73* during a 168-run chase. He competed with the likes of Nathan McSweeney, Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft for a spot as an opener.

So far in the ongoing Sheffield Shield season, Konstas has emerged as the leading run-getter with 452 runs in six innings at an average of 90.40, including two centuries and a fifty.

While Paine is in no hurry to have Australia move on from Khawaja, he looks at Konstas as a long-term replacement, given some promising returns at 19 years of age. He also expressed hope that Khawaja does not call it qui

"Out of the four guys (Konstas, Harris, Bancroft, McSweeney), that are playing right now, I think they would lean to a Sam Konstas if something were to happen to a second opener," said Paine as quoted by SEN.

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