Australia ke cricket selectors ne ek baar phir apna dimag khujla liya hai, aur is baar Mark Taylor ke shabdon mein, Sam Konstas ko West Indies tour ke liye wapas bulane ka hungama macha hai. “David Warner retired nearly two years ago now and we haven’t really found a replacement for him,” Taylor ne bade dramay ke saath kaha, jaise ki Warner ke jaane ke baad Australia ka top order ek khali kitaab ban gaya ho. Sach toh yeh hai ki Warner ke aggressive batting style aur unki field par dhamakedaar presence ke saath koi bhi match ka rukh palat sakta tha, lekin ab uske baghair team ek naye hero ki talaash mein hai. Par kya yeh 19 saal ka ladka, jo abhi Sheffield Shield mein bhi thodi si hi chamak dikhayi hai, us Warner ke jooton mein pair daal sakta hai? Hmmm, thodi si hasi toh banta hai.
Chaliye, thodi der ke liye hasi ko side mein rakhte hain aur Sam Konstas ke baare mein baat karte hain. Yeh ladka, jo Sydney ke Kogarah se hai aur Greek descent ka hai, apne debut Test match mein hi sabka dil jeet liya tha. Boxing Day Test 2024 mein India ke khilaaf Melbourne Cricket Ground par, Konstas ne 60 runs banaye, woh bhi sirf 65 balls mein, aur woh bhi Jasprit Bumrah jaisi duniya ke number one bowler ke saamne! Uski innings mein ramp shots aur unorthodox style tha, jisse Virat Kohli itna frustrate ho gaya ki usne Konstas ke saath shoulder bump kar diya, aur ICC se 20% match fee ka fine bhi khaaya. Yeh debut itna dhamakedaar tha ki Ian Chappell ne toh uski taareef mein likha, “Konstas ne India ko back foot par dhakel diya aur Bumrah ko sochne par majboor kar diya.”
Ab thodi si tareef aur. Konstas ka yeh confidence kisi bhi naye khiladi ke liye ek bada sign hai. Usne apne career ke shuru mein hi dikha diya ki woh bade bowlers ke saamne nahi darta. 2024 Under-19 World Cup mein West Indies ke khilaaf 108 runs ki century, Sheffield Shield mein South Australia ke khilaaf twin hundreds (152 aur ek aur century doosri innings mein), aur Prime Minister’s XI ke liye India A ke khilaaf 107 off 97 balls – yeh sab uski kabiliyat ke saboot hain. Usne Sydney Thunder ke liye Big Bash League debut mein bhi 56 runs maare, aur woh bhi sirf 20 balls mein fifty complete karke! Yeh numbers ek aise khiladi ki kahani sunate hain jo shayad Australia ke liye ek naya star ban sakta hai, aur West Indies ke khilaaf, jahan pitches thodi slow aur spin-friendly hoti hain, Konstas ka attacking style kaam aa sakta hai.
Lekin yahan thodi si sachchai bhi sun lijiye. Australia ka top order abhi bhi ek puzzle hai jo sulajh nahi raha. Usman Khawaja, jo 38 saal ke hone wale hain, unka form thoda dikhra raha hai, aur Mark Taylor ne toh unko bhi “on notice” bol diya. Marnus Labuschagne ka bhi form past do saalon mein itna acha nahi raha, aur Steve Smith ki injury (dislocated finger) ne selectors ke liye aur headache badha di hai. World Test Championship final 2025 mein South Africa ke khilaaf Australia ki haar ne yeh saaf kar diya ki unka batting line-up abhi bhi mazboot nahi hai. Konstas ko Sri Lanka tour par drop kiya gaya tha jab Travis Head ko opener banaya gaya, aur ab West Indies ke liye usko wapas laana shayad ek desperate move hai. Kya yeh ladka, jiska Test average abhi 28.25 hai, itne bade pressure ko jhel sakta hai?
Ab thodi si baat West Indies ke perspective se. Yeh team, jo kabhi Test cricket ki badshah thi, ab underdog hai. Unke paas Jason Holder, Kraigg Brathwaite aur Alzarri Joseph jaise khiladi hain, jo apne din par kisi bhi team ko hara sakte hain. Yaad hai 2024 ka Gabba Test, jahan West Indies ne Australia ko 8 runs se hara diya tha? Shamar Joseph ne 7 wickets liye aur ek injured toe ke bawajood match jeeta! Yeh ek aisi team hai jo bade mauke par badi ladayi ladti hai. Konstas ke aggressive batting ke saamne, agar West Indies ke bowlers apna discipline maintain kar sake, toh shayad yeh naya star thoda sa dull ho sakta hai.
Toh, kya Konstas Australia ka naya Warner banega? Shayad haan, shayad na. Uska confidence, unorthodox style, aur bade bowlers ke khilaaf na darne ka attitude usko ek alag mukaam de sakta hai. West Indies tour uske liye ek bada test hoga, jahan woh apni jagah pakki kar sakta hai. Lekin cricket ek aisa khel hai jahan ek galat din aapko hero se zero bana sakta hai. Konstas ke liye yeh ek shandaar mauka hai, lekin agar woh fail hua, toh Australian selectors ka yeh naya experiment bhi shayad ek aur kahani ban kar reh jayega, jaisa ki Nathan McSweeney ke saath hua, jisko teen Tests ke baad drop kar diya gaya. Cricket ka yeh khel bada hi zalim hai, aur Konstas ko yeh baat jaldi hi samajh aani chahiye.
