He got a quarter of the way there – registering his second-highest score in Test cricket – before throwing his hands at an Anderson Phillip delivery on a good length well outside his off stump.

A seasoned opener might have recognised the danger in doing so. Trying to powerfully hit a ball on that line and length, given it had been nipping around in the morning, was always going to be fraught with danger.

Konstas, with confidence high after hitting a wristy cut/cover drive to the boundary a few minutes earlier, didn’t move his front foot and edged behind, playing away from his body and with his head not in line.

Shamar Joseph, who dismissed Konstas in both innings in the first Test, had only just finished his spell. Konstas had faced only two balls from Phillip, and it was evident he wanted to cash in.

Since his remarkable Boxing Day innings against Jasprit Bumrah and India, Konstas has made Test scores of eight, 23, 22, three, five and 25 for a total of 86 runs at 14.33.

It is probably a blessing for Konstas that his appearances at the crease in the Caribbean have been in the middle of the Australian night. He polarises opinion enough, let alone under the microscope of a home Australian summer when everyone is glued to their television.

But the rusted-on tragics who stayed up until midnight to watch Konstas would have been buoyed when the 19-year-old plundered Shamar Joseph’s first delivery of the Test to the deep square leg boundary.

It was a crisp pull shot that showed real intent. Captain Pat Cummins said before the Test he wanted to see more of just that from a struggling top order.

Konstas then looked to pinch singles and get off the strike. He had been encouraged by those close to him to take a more positive mindset into this match. At times, he did that, and is certainly a much better player when he is looking to score.

The good players cash in when they make starts. Nearly half of Konstas’ Test innings have been between 22 and 25.

At the end of the day’s play, Australian all-rounder Beau Webster praised Konstas for being more proactive than he was in his second innings in Barbados.

“I thought he looked back to his best today,” Webster said after Australia were bowled out for 286. “He looked like he was really clear and positive in the way he wanted to score and keep out the good balls. Top-order bats are going to find the edge eventually … or the pad.

“He’s going to find his feet.”

The performance still wasn’t as fluent an innings as Konstas would like, though. On 10, he nearly chopped a ball onto his stumps from Seales and on 15, was put down by Roston Chase – although it would have been the catch of the century – high to his right at gully.

For the third time in his seven Test digs, Konstas has perished in the 12th over of an innings. In the two other innings since his debut Test, he’s been out in the fourth over.

Australia’s lack of opening batsmen options on this tour means Konstas will play the third Test in Kingston.

He is only going to figure out Test cricket by being out in the middle, but it is imperative for him to get as much cricket as possible leading into the Ashes.

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Australia A play a four-day match against Sri Lanka A in Darwin on July 20, just four days after the final West Indies Test. In a perfect world, Konstas would play that match, but schedules and travel are likely to scupper any such plan.

Konstas had to be reminded by those close to him after his twin failures in Barbados that he is still only 19. He was bitterly disappointed with his efforts in the first Test.

Time is on his side. After all, only two players in Australian history scored Test centuries younger than Konstas: Neil Harvey and Archie Jackson. For now, at least, Konstas is in rare company. He just needs to make sure he stays there.

Astute judges truly believe Konstas will get there. The big question is when.