Overview

• Australia A coach Tim Paine publicly backed Sam Konstas to “play it as he sees it,” encouraging the 19-year-old to switch between defence and aggression as conditions dictate.
• Konstas reached a century off 122 balls and was unbeaten at tea in Lucknow, driving an opening stand with Campbell Kellaway against an India A attack led by Prasidh Krishna.
• The innings bolsters his case to face England, with final Ashes selection tied to October Sheffield Shield returns ahead of the November 21 opener in Perth.
• Nathan McSweeney and Kellaway are also in contention, with Paine noting spots are available for batters who score heavily in India A games and early Shield rounds.
• Konstas is rebounding from a lean West Indies tour of 50 runs in six innings, following a recent NSW pre-season hundred and technical tune-ups under state coaches.