Sam Konstas has delivered another statement to Australian selectors, blasting a 90-ball century for the Prime Minister’s XI against India at Manuka Oval.
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The teen prodigy helped rescue the Aussie side, who were initially 2-22 before being all-out for 240 in 43.2 overs, setting the tourists a tricky target in their 46 overs against the pink ball under lights.
Only returning captain Rohit Sharma (3 off 11) disappointed in the successful chase – which was completed with 19 balls remaining – with six Indian batters scoring over 20 runs. Both fellow returnee Shubman Gill and KL Rahul retired not out to give their teammates a look at similar conditions to the Adelaide Test.
In a potential hint to the Indian batting line-up for that clash with Australia, beginning on Friday, Gill batted at No.3 behind the opening pair of Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, with Sharma at No.4 and Nitish Kumar Reddy at No.5. Virat Kohli did not bat.
Showing just how little the result itself mattered, India continued batting after reaching the target – not long after Matt Renshaw dismissed Ravindra Jadeja caught and bowled for 27 (31).
MATCH CENTRE: India vs PM’s XI full scorecard and more
For the Aussies Konstas will hope to use the century against quality opposition, even if in a one-day match, as more evidence he deserves a Test debut at just 19 years old.
Australia is expected to bring Scott Boland into the XI for the day-night Adelaide Test, replacing the injured Josh Hazlewood (side strain), with all-rounder Beau Webster coming into the camp as cover for the sore Mitch Marsh.
Boland pushed his case with a strong opening spell on Sunday night, conceding 0-16 from six overs with two maidens, before the Indian batters swung more freely to give him final figures of 0-36.
Uncapped quicks Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett were added on Saturday as additional bowling cover, and while it appears unlikely Konstas will also come into the squad for Adelaide, he is banging down the door for Brisbane if the top-order struggles again.
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After day one of their two-day tour match was rained out, the clash between the Prime Minister’s XI and a star-laden India was shortened to a one-day affair.
Konstas played a lone hand for most of proceedings after India won the toss and elected to bowl first. Opener Matt Renshaw fell early, knicking off to Mohammed Siraj at second slip for just five.
Western Australian young gun Jayden Goodwin joined Konstas briefly before being dismissed for four, leaving the PM’s XI 2/22 after 5.5 overs.
But Konstas then took full advantage of his audition as opener, blasting a 51-ball half-century and putting on a century stand with Jack Clayton.
Konstas’ biggest problem was keeping partners at the crease as Harshit Rana took four wickets in six balls – Clayton (40 off 52), Ollie Davies (0 off 2), Jack Edwards (1 off 6) and Sam Harper (0 off 2) to leave the PM’s XI at 7-138.
Hanno Jacobs proved the man Konstas needed, contributing plenty to their eighth-wicket partnership of 67 as the 19-year-old eventually reached triple figures.
Konstas was eventually caught in the deep off the bowling of Akash Deep for 107 (97), with Jacobs dismissed for 61 (59) to end the PM’s XI innings.
It comes less than two months after his maiden first class century, in a Sheffield Shield match against South Australia when he scored 152 and 105 – becoming the youngest Aussie since Ricky Ponting with two tons in the same match.
The century will renew calls for Konstas to be called into the Australian XI for the remainder of the Test series, for the likes of Nathan McSweeney – who won the ‘bat-off’ which Konstas was part of to become opener for Perth – or the-out-of-form Marnus Labuschagne.
Their side began slowly, understandably treating the 46-over chase as a Test warm-up, sitting 0-36 off 12 overs before Perth centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal blasted three boundaries in the next to get the scoreboard ticking.
The PM’s XI finally struck in the 16th over, with Charlie Anderson claiming the key wicket of Jaiswal (45 off 59), before KL Rahul retired not out (27 off 44) entering the 18th over to give Rohit Sharma a look at the pink ball.
But it didn’t last long with Sharma nicking off to Anderson for 3 (11).
Shubman Gill retired not out after recording a strong half-century (50 off 62) with partner Nitish Kumar Reddy bowled by Lloyd Pope for 42 (32) soon after he willingly left the crease, the pair having moved India into a strong position in the chase at 3-182 off 33 overs.
PM’s XI squad: Jack Edwards (C) (NSW), Charlie Anderson (NSW), Mahli Beardman (WA), Scott Boland (VIC), Jack Clayton (QLD), Aidan O’Connor (TAS), Ollie Davies (NSW), Jayden Goodwin (WA), Sam Harper (VIC), Hanno Jacobs (ACT), Sam Konstas (NSW), Lloyd Pope (SA), Matthew Renshaw (QLD), Jem Ryan (QLD)
India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed
– with Will Faulkner
