Australian News – Sam Konstas enters Australia Team after two centuries

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Australian News – Sam Konstas enters Australia Team after two centuries

Teenage opener Sam Konstas will be tested for a place in the national team colors after being named in the Australia A squad for the upcoming red ball series against India A.

His remarkable rise continued after he was included in the 17-man squad for two four-day games in Mackay and the MCG.

Konstas, 19, lit up Australian domestic cricket by hitting two centuries against South Australia in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield. He became the first teenager to achieve that feat in the Shield since 18-year-old Ricky Ponting in 1993.

With all-rounder Cameron Green ruled out for the summer with a back injury, and Steven Smith likely to return to No.4, Konstas has emerged as a contender for next month’s first Test against India in Perth.

Former Test players Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft are also in the squad but Matt Renshaw, who batted as a substitute in the series against the West Indies and New Zealand earlier this year, has not been included.

Harris started the season strongly after scoring a century and a half against Tasmania at the Junction Oval. Bancroft, who made a pair, and Renshaw both had two failures in the match between Western Australia and Queensland at the WACA.

South Australian skipper Nathan McSweeney will captain Australia A in a role he has held many times before. Allrounder Beau Webster, the reigning Shield player this season, has also been nominated and could be among the Test selections if the Australian management decides to go with someone like Green’s replacement.

Fringe Test quick Scott Boland and Michael Neser, who took five wickets against WA, were selected and Victoria quick Fergus O’Neill was honored for his Shield success.

Offspinners Todd Murphy and Corey Rocchiccioli are also in the squad and will be in good shape for Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka early next year.

Cooper Connolly, who made his ODI debut for England, is the only player selected in both the ODI and Australia A squads.

Josh Philippe, who left WA for NSW in the offseason, and Jimmy Peirson are the wicketkeepers.

The first four-day match in Mackay ends on November 3 before the first ODI on November 4 while the second four-day match at the MCG runs from November 7-10 with the second and third ODIs being played on November 8 and 10.

The depth of the Shield teams will be tested in the series that will compete in the third round of the Shield which starts on November 1.

“We’re very pleased with this team, especially after their good start to the Sheffield Shield season,” said Australian national selector George Bailey.

“As always in Australia A, we have chosen a team that we hope will be able to do well in the next Test summer, and we have also rewarded the players for having a strong team in roles that we consider important from afar.

“It will be a great opportunity for these players to prove themselves against a strong Test side looking to prepare for what will be an exciting summer of Test cricket.”

Australia A squad vs India A

Nathan McSweeney (captain), Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Jordan Buckingham, Cooper Connolly, Ollie Davies, Marcus Harris, Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Michael Neser, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Jimmy Peirson, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Mark Steketee, Beau Webster

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