Taylor urges Aus to back struggling Green and Konstas for rest of WI tour

New Delhi, June 29 (IANS) Former Australia Test captain Mark Taylor has urged the side to back struggling batters Cameron Green and Sam Konstas for rest of their Test trip to the West Indies after the duo had lean returns in the visitors’ victory in the series opener.

While Konstas made 3 and 5 in both innings, Green could make just 3 and 15 at Barbados. With Steve Smith in contention to play the second Test in Grenada, Taylor feels Australia should persist with young batters Konstas and Green.

"I think Cameron Green has to stay there for this tour. Steve Smith will more than likely come in. I think he's coming back from the US from his broken finger. So he'll slot back in whenever he's ready.

"He'll come back in at four I dare say. Australia have got to stick here. They've got Sam Konstas who's coming in as the new opener. He's only 19 and as has been widely reported, he's not quite the finished product at the moment. But he's our best young gun.

"He's got to be given an opportunity here to nail that spot down. And I think the same with Cameron Green. Now he's 26 years old, he's played 30 test matches, averages only 33, but has shown us – he made 174 last year in a Test match and guided Australia to victory – he can do it, but at the moment he's a bit I think he's a bit nervous.

"He's pushing hard at the ball because he's had injuries, he's had a chequered career in terms of not being able to play Test match after Test match and find his slot in the team, but we've got to stick with him because he's they're the best two of our young guys coming through," said Taylor on Nine's Wide World of Sports show.

He also felt for now the stupendous performances of Australia’s fast bowlers and lower order making runs are papering over the top-order batting issues. "It is a good win, no doubt about that. Bowlers win your test matches. You need 20 wickets to win a Test match more often than not, and Australia have got an outstanding bowling attack.

"We've had that for a long time. Yes, there is some cracks there. Obviously we're still trying to work out our top order, our top three and obviously Steve Smith didn't play in that game also. So we had quite a new top four. At the moment, our runs in Test match cricket are generally coming from five, six and seven.

"Travis Head was man of the match in that game. Beau Webster made a 60. Alex Carey, who's probably the most sound player in the team, bar Steve Smith at the moment, is coming in at number seven. He also made 60 in the second innings, so our runs are coming from the lower order. Not so much from our top order," he concluded.

--IANS

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