Australia captain Pat Cummins has thrown his support behind 19-year-old Sam Konstas, assuring the young gun of a bright Test future despite missing selection for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against South Africa at Lord’s.

Konstas, who announced himself during Australia’s triumphant Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) campaign earlier this year, has been left out of the Playing XI for the marquee clash, with Marnus Labuschagne instead named as a makeshift opener. Speaking ahead of the clash, Cummins reassured fans that Konstas’ omission was not a setback but a decision based on experience of Labuschagne.

“It’s something the selectors are always weighing up (On Konstas getting ample opportunities). Realistically, he’s really young and has a long career ahead of him. So hopefully, even if he’s not playing, being in the squad is a learning opportunity. At the same time, you’ve got guys like Bo Webster who are just starting their Test careers,” Cummins said.

“Obviously, Cam Green comes back in, and Josh (Inglis) has a chance to begin his Test career as well. I think it’s a good problem to have—three or four guys who are all right on the fringe, on the cusp of getting a good run in Test cricket,” he added.

The youngster burst onto the Test scene in Melbourne, smashing a crucial 60 in his maiden innings before contributing valuable cameos (23 and 22) in Sydney. But it was his fiery exchanges with Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and a now-infamous shoulder nudge from Virat Kohli that truly cemented his reputation as a fearless competitor.

However, since the BGT triumph, opportunities have dried up for the teenager. He was overlooked for the Sri Lanka Tests in favor of Travis Head’s experience, and now finds himself on the sidelines once more for the WTC Final.

While the WTC Final may have come too soon, the upcoming Ashes and home summer present prime opportunities for Konstas to reclaim his spot. For now, the focus shifts to Labuschagne and Head, who will shoulder the responsibility against South Africa’s potent pace attack.

AUSTRALIA PLAYING XI FOR WTC FINAL

Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.