Rising Star Sam Konstas Slams Century as Australia ‘A’ Dominates India ‘A’ on Day One

The match kicked off in Lucknow with an electrifying performance from nineteen-year-old opening batter Sam Konstas, who delivered a magnificent century, significantly boosting his prospects for an Ashes squad call-up. His commanding innings put the Australia ‘A’ bowlers under considerable pressure on what proved to be a challenging first day for India ‘A’. Konstas, who scored a brilliant 109 runs off 144 balls, was ably supported by his opening partner Campbell Kellaway, who contributed a valuable 88. Together, they forged an outstanding 198-run partnership for the first wicket, laying a rock-solid foundation for their team. However, India ‘A’ bowlers managed to stage a fightback as the day progressed. Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey was particularly impressive, claiming three crucial wickets for 88 runs. Dubey dismissed Konstas, captain Nathan McSweeney, and the dangerous Cooper Connolly, stemming the flow of runs. At stumps, Australia ‘A’ had reached a strong total of 337 for the loss of five wickets after 73 overs. Reflecting on his performance, Konstas commented, “They bowled really well at the start, but conditions were favorable for batting. I faced quite a few mental challenges, just trying to persevere and adapt to the conditions. It felt great to build a strong partnership with Kellaway.” Brief scores from Day 1 read: Australia A scored 337/5, with significant contributions from Konstas (109 runs), Kellaway (88 runs), and Connolly (70 runs). Harsh Dubey was the pick of the bowlers for India A with 3/88.