Rain Delays Don’t Stop Australia A: Konstas Shines with Century in Lucknow Test
Lucknow got off to a wet start on Tuesday, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of Australia A’s batsmen. In the first unofficial four-day Test against India A at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, heavy rain pushed back the toss by over two hours. Play finally kicked off after lunch, and Australia A chose to bat first.
Openers Sam Konstas and Campbell Kellaway wasted no time, building a massive 198-run partnership that set the tone. The 19-year-old Konstas stole the show with a fantastic century—109 runs off 144 balls, including 10 fours and 3 sixes. Kellaway wasn’t far behind, smashing 88 off 97 balls with 10 boundaries and 2 maximums. India A finally broke through in the 38th over when Harsh Dubey dismissed Kellaway, giving the hosts their first wicket.
Things heated up quickly after that. In the next 10 overs, India A’s bowlers grabbed three more scalps. Skipper Nathan McSweeney managed just 1 run off 13 balls, while Oliver Peake added 2 off 17. But Australia A bounced back strong with a 109-run stand for the fifth wicket between Cooper Connolly and Liam Scott. Connolly scored a solid 70 off 84 balls before falling, and Scott stayed not out on 47 as the day wrapped up.
Australia A ended the rain-shortened day at 337 for 5 in 73 overs—a strong position to build on. Harsh Dubey led the Indian attack with 3 wickets for 88 runs in his 21 overs. Khaleel Ahmed and Gurnoor Brar each picked up one, while Prasidh Krishna and Tanush Kotian went wicketless.
On Wednesday, Scott and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Philippe will aim to push Australia A towards a big total and pile pressure on India A. This match is part of the exciting Australia A tour of India 2024, and fans are already buzzing about the young talents on display.
Brief scores: Australia A 337/5 in 73 overs (Sam Konstas 109, Campbell Kellaway 88, Cooper Connolly 70, Liam Scott 47*; Harsh Dubey 3/88) vs India A.
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