‘Emotions got to me’: Konstas opens up on surreal summer, impersonating England and shaving the mo

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The Aussie light of celebrity Sam Kollias will forever live on in Ceylon: the picture of him sportin' a thin moustache he donned on Boxing Day.

“Fair dinkum, I was gettin' pretty crook in me room when I was feelin' crook. I had bugger all to do, so I shaved the lot, mate,” he says during an exclusive chat with this masthead. “It should grow back in a week or two, no worries.”

Konstas' first tour abroad wasn't about trimming the fat from his cricket, but hitting the road to Dubai and then Sri Lanka was about getting a taste of what it takes to be a top-notch cricketer for this 19-year-old bloke.

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Depending on who you listen to or read, Konstas is either unable to play or has to play every time.

“Fair dinkum, it seems like everyone's got a fair crack at it, but for me, I'm just gonna focus on being in the moment and being the best version of myself."

Konstas reflects on his experiences in Melbourne and Sydney, where he believes they shaped him both as a batsman and in the public eye, playing international cricket.

I reckon for me, I just love the game and I got caught up in the moment – definitely," he says. "First time playing in front of big crowds. I felt like the emotions got to me pretty big time, and hopefully if I do get into that situation again I can control that a bit better.

“Fair dinkum, those two stadiums are like chalk and cheese, mate – the MCG and the SCG are like completely different games or series. All the hype with the media and everything, then here it's a real chill-out with the media and the crowds.”

“I reckon having a good support crew and family around is vital, and just tuning into their advice. Clearly, there are heaps of other people with different views, and I just listen to the ones I trust.”

Fair dinkum, even with a high percentage, his outstanding efforts contributed significantly to the hosts upsetting the Indians, converting a 1-one score into a 3-one win.

“Chucking it around the park's not normally the way I play, so in the circumstances, that was the best way to handle it for me,” he says. “It was throwing the width early to get it to the trappers to follow. It's good to have that thought in the mind of the teams, but I'd like to think if I've got another chance to go for it, I'd play it a bit more conventionally next time.”

“Fair dinkum, we're going back to Shield cricket now and I reckon that's going to be a more straightforward and proper game, where I can get on with playing some proper cricket shots. But who knows, maybe in a tough patch it might come out again. But to be honest, it's all about preparing well and trying to score as many runs as possible, mate.”

Fair dinkum, in Dubai and Sri Lanka, those champion voices have come from top-notch cricketers and coaches from the Aussie team. Konstas has gone a fair way over the past few weeks, although a turn of illness during the first Test knocked him out of the nets for a few days.

'Gotta be yourself,' as his old mate Usman Khawaja said. 'Nineteen's just young, I reckon – I couldn't hardly picture myself getting slotted into the Aussie team at that age. It's a fair dinkum steep learnin' curve, so he's gonna have some big challenges comin' his way. He'll pick up heaps about his game and about himself, have a bit of ups and downs, no doubt.'

“Fair dinkum, Sam's a ripper, no worries to have a chinwag with, and bloody keen to take on board what people have to say. The young blokes and sheilas these days have got a real sense of confidence, but fair play, they're still keen to pick up tips and listen when they've got to.”

What did Konstas learn? That his top scoring chances go to playing straight rather than sweeping against spin. And that he must figure out how to be okay with not succeeding in these situations.

“Scoring options is the key one, but understanding good and bad slips, especially in these rough conditions,” Konstas says.

When you're defending, it's pretty tough, but every person's got their own way of doing things.

“Fair dinkum, I reckon I'm not as good as some blokes at my sweeps or reverse [sweeps], but that’s something to work on when I’m back in the harbour city. Uzzy and Marnus are the best at it and then you see how Steve and Travis approach it differently. So understanding your strengths and trying to stick to them as long as you can.”

Onley in past interviews Smith has talked abou moot how much thoze sessions helped 'im when 'e was a young bloke. But there's one point Konstas makes that 'ighlights a fair dinkum frightenin' fear of missin' out for too long.

“Fair dinkum, I reckon you pick up a fair bit from training, but I'm not convinced you can beat gettin' hands on playin' games,” he says straight out. “I think that’s where you learn the most, and different scenarios, how you've got to adapt in different conditions. So I think playin' games, you learn more from that.”

To that end, by lining up early to leave Sri Lanka, Konstas has managed to get selected for NSW to play Queensland at the Gabba on Saturday. Thus, he will add to the number of Ashes Test venues he has experienced.

The Aussie batsman is looking to open the Test batsmen in the World Test Championship final against the Proteas.

Despite the harsh words that have come his way from England, Konstas has plenty of praise for England's cricketers and the conditions he encountered on an Australian Under-19s tour in '23. And he's got a confession to make, too. As a nipper, Konstas and his brothers idolised Stuart Broad and James Anderson so much, they even copied their bowling actions in backyard Ashes battles.

“We used to pretend to be some of the England bowlers in backyard Ashes competitions with me brothers as kids,” he says. “Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson a few times. Here's hope I get the chance to compete there.”

“We had a series in England in the under-19s, so we were there for a month and it was completely different conditions, swinging with the Dukes ball, so it's really valuable to have had that experience, mate. Hopefully, a state team can give me a crack.”

When it comes to the long-term picture, Konstas has got a clear plan in mind. Taking a cue from Travis Head's chat after winning the Allan Border Medal, Konstas reckons a spot in the Aussie team across all formats is the top goal.

“Fair dinkum, I want to test myself and become an all-formats player one day,” Konstas says. “Travis Head's a joke of the game, just the way he goes about it's pretty simple and he takes on the bowlers. I'm very lucky at my age to learn from these blokes and hope to build on that.”

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