The current round of Sheffield Shield action got off to a wild start at the SCG with Sam Konstas and Nic Maddison smashing 30 runs off the opening two overs before Konstas was dismissed in extraordinary fashion.
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Konstas was knocked over by Test teammate Scott Boland for 10 on the first ball of the third of the game between New South Wales and Victoria, but this was not a standard Boland nip-backer that terrorised India during his ten-wicket haul at the same venue last month.
Konstas shuffled across the crease and attempted to slog sweep Boland over backward square leg, but missed the ball and it crashed into his leg stump.
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The 19-year-old’s dismissal came after reverse ramping the second ball of the match, also off Boland, over the slips for four, akin to what he did to Jasprit Bumrah on Boxing Day.
The ball before he got the mark with a leading edge that went through point for two after being squared up by Boland, and after that seaming delivery, the conventional seemingly went out the window.
Third ball Konstas walked at Boland and drove past mid-off for four, and followed that up by attempting another reverse ramp but he failed to connect.
Maddison followed suit in the second over, taking 20 off the prolific Fergus O’Neill’s opening over, including pumping two sixes over the leg side to the short ball.
It was a clear plan from the New South Wales openers to throw the Victorian seamers off their line and length after winning the toss and electing to bat, but Konstas’ failure opened him up for ridicule.
In his last outing, he smashed his maiden one-day domestic century against Queensland in Brisbane, but with the Australian XI uncertain for June’s World Test Championship final at Lords against South Africa, there is added intrigue on Shield results.
SEN’s Gerard Whateley was one such commentator who was left dumbfounded by Konstas’ innings on Tuesday morning.
“He may be scrambled, but he played with such predetermined aggression that I think you’re entitled to read these seven balls at face value – that’s exactly what he went out there to do,” Whateley said on SEN Mornings.
“That’s not going to, I don’t think, be long-term successful in Test cricket.
“He’s 19, but he is the incumbent Australian opener. So, you have to measure both.
“I hope he’s successful, but I can’t see him being successful playing like that.
“He’s got three Shield games, so five innings to go. If he plays the rest of the Shield season like that, does he open at the World Test Championship? I don’t know the answer to that.
“I just had him as a lock (previously)… I’m a bit rattled by that innings.”
Elsewhere, Queensland won the toss and chose to bat first at the Gabba against Western Australia, so too did South Australia against Tasmania at the Adelaide Oval.
There are several Test stars in action across the three matches with Konstas, Boland, Todd Murphy and Beau Webster, who have all featured in the baggy green this year, taking part.
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