In an explosive start to the Sheffield Shield match at the SCG, Sam Konstas and Nic Maddinson scored 30 runs in just two overs for New South Wales against Victoria. Konstas hit 10 runs off Scott Boland and Maddinson added 20 off Fergus O’Neill before Konstas was bowled, attempting a sweep shot on the 13th ball. Commentary from Phil Jaques highlighted the unusual nature of Konstas’ aggressive batting approach, which has drawn scrutiny regarding its sustainability at higher levels of cricket. While he has previously excelled with a more conventional style, his current method raises questions about consistency and risk.
“It was really hard to explain. I have no idea what was happening,” Phil Jaques, the former NSW coach and Test opener, stated on commentary following Konstas’ dismissal.
On the second ball of the match, he attempted a reverse scoop he had successfully played against Jasprit Bumrah earlier in the season, sending Boland over the slips to deep third. On the next delivery, he moved his feet and drove the ball past a diving mid-off before attempting another reverse scoop, which he missed.
The over concluded with two dot balls, including a relatively conventional push into the covers off the last delivery.
Next up was Maddinson, who made his aggressive intentions clear right from the first ball, advancing at O’Neill but getting beaten while trying to play through the leg side toward the short boundary.
On the next delivery, he had a stroke of luck as an edge found its way through the cordon, but there was no doubt about his subsequent strike when he stepped out and sent O’Neill’s delivery sailing straight down the ground.
Maddinson escalated his aggression further, targeting the short boundary over mid-on with a full swing of his bat on a delivery that sailed into the stands. This prompted captain Will Sutherland to position a long-on midway through the second over.
Maddinson continued his assault, this time staying in his crease and steering a delivery from outside off just out of reach of the fielder on the boundary. The final ball of the over was short and wide, resulting in Maddinson attempting to uppercut over the slips but failing to make contact.
Then, it was back to the showdown between Boland and Konstas. Anticipation built as Boland delivered a fuller ball, prompting Konstas to move across his stumps for a sweep shot, but he missed and was bowled. This season has been marked by discussions surrounding the approach of the 19-year-old.
“I believe the reverse ramp is a shot he practices often and executes well in shorter formats,” Jaques noted. “He sees an opportunity with the new ball to shift a bowler off their length and force a field change.
“However, he appears to be relying on it too frequently now, resulting in dismissals and a loss of the steady run-scoring consistency we’ve come to expect from Sam over time through traditional batting techniques. This player has a history of making hundreds, and he hasn’t achieved that through scooping and slogging. It feels as though he’s become somewhat entangled in this newer approach.”
“If he aspires to be the kind of player who dominates bowlers and can see off a leading bowler during their most intimidating phase, and is okay with the possibility of dismissals like today, then he should keep it up. However, if he’s aiming to be a consistent Test batsman with an average of 50, then I question whether he can achieve that playing the way he currently is.”
“From an outsider’s perspective, observing Sam over the past few years… his playing style has shifted significantly from what has been customary in Test and first-class cricket for years. He’s adopting a different approach than the one that got him to where he is today, which is somewhat unconventional. He might end up proving everyone wrong, and he could score at a rate we’ve never seen before, but it unquestionably carries a high risk.”
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo