Ellis strikes early after Australia win the toss and send India in at Manuka Oval
Sam Konstas still finds himself as a cricketer and a young man and Pat Cummins has just bowled his first soft balls of the summer, but Steve Smith looks set to make big runs in the Ashes if he starts this week.
A little slow at first when playing on his own, Smith hit 50, then positively hit a century for New South Wales against Queensland at the Gabba, and took increasingly brazen liberties on an even batting track against the Bulls.
Will Salzmann opened the batting alongside Sam Konstas in the photo taken after he was dismissed by Hayden Kerr.Credit: Getty Images
After a fine cover drive, Konstas shouldered the ball past former NSW pacer Hayden Kerr around the wicket and tipped backwards off mid-stump.
Despite hitting a century for Australia A in India in mid-September, Konstas’ home scores were four, 14, 40, nil, 53, 20 and 10. The national selectors will name the Ashes squad at the end of this tour.
The Konstas novel, which preceded Cummins’ return to bowling in the nets at Sydney’s Cricket Central, was the curtain-raiser for a masterful performance from Smith, who was largely untouchable despite taking 22 balls to go off the target.
Smith will need to be sharp to simultaneously maintain the rhythm that Jofra Archer showed when he took 3-25 against New Zealand in Wellington. But the way Smith constructed his innings contrasted with a flustered England being beaten twice by the Black Caps inside 40 overs.
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