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<\/a><\/p>\nKonstas, who turned 20 on Thursday, became an instant hit last summer when he reverse ramped his way to 60 off 65 balls in his Test debut against a red-hot Jasprit Bumrah.<\/p>\n
The rising star has struggled since then, with his batting average sitting at 16.3 after five Tests, but recent scores of 109 and 49 for Australia A have revived hopes he will be in form for the Ashes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe showed last year that he\u2019s got the temperament to do it,\u201d Langer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBumrah\u2019s fast bowling last year was the best fast bowling I\u2019ve ever seen in in my career.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo for Konstas to have the courage … I remember sitting next to (Matthew) Hayden and (Ricky) Ponting in the Channel 7 commentary box and we\u2019re looking: \u2018Who is this clown? What is he doing?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then … he won the hearts of all Australians doing it. He took on the best bowler in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Former](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/c55efe91df0cd4b30b7225de3bddc2003d7c4a18.jpg\")
Former coach Justin Langer is confused by the ongoing instability at the top of the order. Credit: AAP<\/p>\n
Konstas was surprisingly axed for the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year, and he was also overlooked for the Test Championship loss to South Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found it confusing, and a lot of people felt confused,\u201d Langer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDavid Warner played for 14 years and had 13 opening partners. Usman Khawaja has had (five) opening partners in a year. And that instability, it can\u2019t be healthy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe very fact that we\u2019re talking about it (who is going to open), and the public are a bit confused about it, that\u2019s saying something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Konstas endured form struggles in the Shield last summer as he attempted to slowly work his way into some innings.<\/p>\n
Langer would love Konstas to embrace his attacking identity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, if Michael Slater had have gone on to be a defensive batter, he wouldn\u2019t have been Michael Slater. If Adam Gilchrist had been defensive, he wouldn\u2019t have been Adam Gilchrist,\u201d Langer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSam will find his feet, he\u2019ll find his identity as a cricketer. And the sooner he does that, and he gets encouraged to do that, the better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Langer says both England and Australia will enter the Ashes with serious injury concerns.<\/p>\n
For Australia, the fitness of skipper Pat Cummins (back) is the most worrying aspect.<\/p>\n
England pace duo Mark Wood (knee) and Jofra Archer (elbow\/thumb) are underdone, while skipper Ben Stokes has battled a shoulder injury this year.<\/p>\n
Langer says England lack a world-class spinner, and it could be an area to exploit.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Langer has warned Cricket Australia against rushing in to privatise the BBL, saying it would be best to observe whether it works in England first.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to see Australian cricket hold their nerve and see how it goes over the next year or two years, because there\u2019s a perfect case study there in The Hundred,\u201d Langer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe obvious thing is to just jump on board and do it. Sometimes the obvious thing isn\u2019t the right thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
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