“As a kid, you have always dreamt of the moment, and it is very rare, getting your baggy green. So it’s a huge honour if I do get in [the team]. Big crowd, sellout, different vibe really, for my first opportunity.”

That move would also allow for the rest of the batting order to remain settled. The inclusion of fellow squad member Josh Inglis, most likely at No.4, would necessitate a major reshuffle, with Marnus Labuschagne opening and Steve Smith moving up to No.3.

Konstas has never even attended the Boxing Day Test as a fan. Now his Test debut looms on one of the biggest stages in the Australian cricket summer.

One of the challenges for the selectors was the fact that neither Khawaja nor Labuschagne have been able to take on more proactive roles, meaning they must find a complementary top-order player with more shots at their disposal – something Konstas has demonstrated across all formats.

“The way our top three are playing has been reasonably similar, and we’d like the ability to throw something different at India on the back of that,” selection chair George Bailey said. “I think Sam’s method and style is different to Nathan [McSweeney]’s and just provides a different look in throwing something at India, should we go down that path.

“If you look more broadly, I don’t think the top six has functioned to the level we need in this series as a whole. You’re always looking for your senior players to be the leaders in how you play, specifically to Uz we value the left-hand at the top of the order. There wasn’t a great deal of consideration to moving him.

“Marn as the other part of that top three, he’s been on record saying he’d like to be scoring more runs, we’d love him to be scoring more runs, but post-Perth with Marn it is about the method and intent as much as the outcome.”

Tahmid’s association with Konstas has been a fruitful one, gaining momentum when Watson also chimed in to help.

“We talked through what he wanted to do with his cricket and how he wanted to elevate his game to the next level,” Tahmid told this masthead earlier this summer of their early days. “I had dinner with Jim, his dad, and worked out a bit of program for him and then it was right into work.

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“I do a lot of technical work with him, and then Shane helps him through the mental side of his game, which is fantastic. It’s been a great journey with the three of us. Shane was amazing to him in taking on a mentoring role and helped him a lot in the mental space and technical space too, to be fair. It’s been a fantastic journey.”

‘Mum was in tears’

A third-ball duck for Konstas on Saturday night for the Sydney Thunder didn’t dent the young batting prodigy’s confidence.

Speaking for the first time since being unveiled in Australia’s 15-man squad for upcoming Tests against India in Melbourne and Sydney, Konstas said he appreciated receiving a message from dumped opener Nathan McSweeney after his axing from the team.

“Nathan McSweeney is a very good player in all three formats, and he actually congratulated me this morning,” Konstas said on the Fox broadcast. “We’re very close mates and I wish him all the best.

“I was actually in the nets and I got the call from [head selector] George Bailey. He told me I was in the Test squad. I was so thrilled. I called my parents straight away. They were very emotional. Hopefully, I meet the team tomorrow and go from there.

“Mum was in tears. I was telling her not to cry, and Dad was super proud. It’s been an amazing journey, all the ups and downs, very grateful for their sacrifice. They’ve been great support to me.

“It’d be a huge honour debuting. A dream come true. I think it’s a sellout already, so I think family and friends will be there as well.”

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The prospect of batting in front of more than 90,000 fans at the MCG will be a dream come true for Konstas, who could become the youngest batsman to debut for the Australian men’s team since 17-year-old Ian Craig in 1953.

After a stunning Big Bash debut, in which he smashed 56 off 27 balls against the Adelaide Strikers, Konstas inside-edged a ball onto his stumps for a duck against the Sixers at Sydney Olympic Park in the first innings of a thrilling match that went down to the last ball.

It was less than ideal ahead of a potential debut in Melbourne, but it didn’t seem to bother Konstas.

“I’ve [been] very excited,” Konstas said. “I want to be challenged, and I’ve got a few plans against those [Indian] bowlers. Feeling like I’m moving really nice and hopefully I get that opportunity.

“I’m just going to react to the ball and show a bit of intent and put pressure back on the bowlers.”

It was a dramatic night at the BBL’s Sydney derby, with the Sixers getting a win from the final ball of the match after requiring 15 runs from Chris Green’s last over.

Before the match, Sixers skipper Moises Henriques sledged the Thunder about being easybeats and that his team always seem to pick up an “easy two points” against their main rivals.

When Henriques edged a ball in the air off spinner Tanveer Sangha, it looked like an easy catch would present itself. In an embarrassing moment, Sangha and wicketkeeper Sam Billings let the ball bounce between them, to the displeasure of their captain David Warner, who clearly thought it was a catch for the man with the gloves. The Sixers, once again, had the last laugh.

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Jordan Silk (36 not out) steered the Sixers home with the help of some impressive power hitting from Ben Dwarshuis (20 off eight balls).

The Sixers required 10 off three balls before two back-to-back wides from Chris Green, a single from Silk and a monster six over mid-wicket from Dwarshuis left the men in magenta needing one off the last ball.

Despite Fox commentator Mark Waugh predicting that a Thunder fielder needed to be closer to the bat on the leg side, Dwarshuis delicately hit a ball to that very position and scampered through for a match-winning single in front of a strong crowd of 17,547.