Teen prodigy shows up Test top order with blistering ton against Indian attack

NSW prodigy Sam Konstas plundered a near full-strength Indian bowling attack in Canberra as Australian great Ricky Ponting called for Marnus Labuschagne to show greater intent in the second Test this week.

Despite Australia’s humiliating 295-run loss to India in Perth, selectors felt there was no need to send the Test team’s struggling batters for a hit in the Prime Minister’s XI pink ball match against the touring Indians.

With day one rained out, Konstas continued his rapid rise in a 46-over-a-side fixture – eight possible overs were lost to wet weather on Sunday – by scoring 107 at the top of the order in an entertaining knock that emphasised his raw talent.

Konstas made more than three times the runs of Australia’s top four batters combined across both innings in Perth (29), albeit not against fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who sat out this fixture.

Against an impressive attack featuring Test stars Mohammed Siraj (1-18), Harhsit Rana (4-44), Nitish Kumar Reddy (0-10) and Washington Sundar (1-38), who all played in Perth, Konstas began cautiously before growing in confidence and settling on a fearless approach.

His hundred, off 90 balls and in front of national selector Tony Dodemaide, came less than two months after Konstas, who is mentored by Shane Watson, made two centuries in the same Sheffield Shield match against South Australia.

Sam Konstas goes on the attack against India at Manuka Oval. Credit: Getty Images

Konstas was out shortly after, caught at deep square leg off the bowling of Akash Deep. His magnificent innings, which featured some luck, helped the PM’s XI reach 240 from 43.2 overs.

Queenslander Jack Clayton made 40 at No.4, while No.9 Hanno Jacobs clubbed an impressive 61 from 60 balls.

India, who did not play a number of their best batsmen, including Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, reached the target for the loss of four wickets but batted until the end of their 46 allocated overs.

No.4 and returning skipper Rohit Sharma made just three runs before being caught at slip by Ollie Davies off the bowling of Charlie Anderson (2-30 from six overs), who also removed first Test centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal for 45. KL Rahul (27 retired not out), Shubman Gill (50 retired not out), Nitish Kumar Reddy (42) and Washington Sundar (42 not out) were also among the runs.

Scott Boland, who is likely to replace the injured Josh Hazlewood in the Australian Test side, returned figures of 0-36 from 10 overs with the pink ball under lights.

With makeshift Australian opener Nathan McSweneey scoring just 10 runs on his Test debut and Australia’s top order firmly under the microscope, the timing of Konstas’ knock was perfect. He will have another chance to showcase his Test credentials when NSW face Western Australia in a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG starting on Friday.

At 19 years and 60 days, Konstas became the youngest player to make a century in a Prime Minister’s XI fixture, smashing David Boon’s record of 23 years and 26 days.

In 1984, just 10 months after his knock of 134 for the PM’s XI, Boon made his Test debut against the West Indies in Brisbane.

Before Friday’s second Test in Adelaide, India’s bowlers came to Canberra hoping to build rhythm and bowl at the top of off stump but had to change plans as Konstas put pressure on them.

Although it was technically a one-day match, with both sides in whites, India persisted with multiple slips and a gully for most of the innings. They had little desire to spread the field and Konstas happily obliged by cracking boundaries through big gaps, particularly mid-wicket.

Konstas’ two reverse ramp shots for boundaries over India’s slips cordon were the highlights of the day and showed why he will be a handy prospect for the Sydney Thunder when the Big Bash begins this month.

Rana, who took four wickets in Perth, did not take kindly to being hooked for six by Konstas over backward square leg towards the Jack Singleton scoreboard at Manuka Oval.

At one stage, India’s frontline quick had dismal figures of 0-40 from 4.3 overs before picking up four wickets in his next six balls. He dismissed Jack Clayton (40) and Ollie Davies (0) to finish one over before removing Jack Edwards (1) and Sam Harper (0) in the next.

Rana resorted to sledging Konstas at one point, with stump microphones picking up the youngster replying, “I can’t hear what you’re saying”.

Meanwhile, former Test skipper Ricky Ponting doesn’t believe Australia should change their XI in Adelaide and wants Labuschagne to be more proactive at the crease.

“I’d be sticking with the same side,” Ponting told The ICC Review Show. “I think you have to show faith in champion players and a lot of the guys that we’re talking about in this team have been champion players. Maybe not for a little while, but they have proven their ability on the big stage.

“Marnus looked the most tentative out of all the batters in Perth. Yes, it was high-quality bowling on a difficult wicket, but he needs to find a way to turn it around.

“You have to find a way to take risks and put it back on those guys because you know [the] Bumrahs of the world are not going to give you too many easy scoring opportunities, and when they do, you’ve got to be ready to pounce on it and put it away and try and put some pressure back on them.”

Australia’s Test squad arrived in Adelaide on Sunday and will train on Monday.

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