Allan Border calls for Sam Konstas to put away 'bloody ramp shot', picks surprise option for first Test

Australian cricket legend Allan Border has pleaded with Sam Konstas to put away the ramp shot as he battles to retain his spot at the top of the order.

Konstas was the name on everyone's lips after he counter-attacked Jasprit Bumrah last summer with the unconventional shot but has struggled to maintain any consistency since.

The 20-year-old is the incumbent opener but is averaging 17.75 from four innings' in the Sheffield Shield.

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"Sam Konstas, I've only ever seen him play a ramp shot," Border said on SEN.

"Can he cover drive or anything like that?

"We just haven't seen anything but constantly trying to play this bloody ramp shot.

"It's a handy shot to have in the kit bag, but I'd be leaving it there for a while until I've got a few on the board first."

Border's former teammate Ian Healy defended Konstas on the same show, arguing he can play cover drives and more regulation shots.

Border was then asked what advice he'd give to the opener.

"It's hard to tell people how to bat specifically, but I'd be saying 'just shelve the ramp shot, just give yourself a chance to get yourself in and just conventionally playing'. If your innings develops, yes you play however you want to," he said.

"There's lots of ways to make Test match runs.

"He's good enough from what I'm hearing, but I just haven't seen it yet."

Konstas' last Test tour, the three-match tour of the West Indies in June and July, was a nightmare for the youngster, scoring 50 runs at 8.33.

However, not a single batter made a century across the three Tests, a point not lost on Border who described the pitches as poor.

Konstas is part of the puzzle for Australian selectors ahead of the first Test in Perth.

Marnus Labuschagne has been dominating at Sheffield Shield level but is not a recognised opener. There has also been suggestions that Steve Smith could move to No.3 and Cameron Green shuffle down the order.

Border would leave Green out altogether though, preferring Usman Khawaja and Matt Renshaw at the top, with Labuschagne first drop and Beau Webster the all-rounder.

"It's a million-dollar question. There's no one really knocking the door down apart from Labuschagne and he's not really listed as an opener," he said.

"They might ask him to open and if he's prepared to do it he could probably get through because he's got the technique and the runs on the board to do a good job for us, but I just get the feeling that he is going to be No 3.

"We need to find, some more top order players.

"Usman is a lock-in for the first couple of Tests at least, then I'd be going Renshaw ... I just think that he might be the right choice.

"We can stick with (Green), I'm just a bit concerned. They want him to bat at about number 3 and I don't think his technique is suitable for that job.

"Webster has done nothing wrong since they picked him and that all-round ability, particularly going into Perth, you might need a bit of a backup to the quickies over there.

"I'd be locking him (Webster) in at number 6 and Green misses out in my first instance.

"If Labuschagne opens they could play Green and Webster and that wouldn't be a bad scenario, but do they want to manufacture the openers?"