Konstas’ Ashes hopes take a battering as history made with first Shield sub

Sam Konstas’ quest to retain his spot for next month’s Ashes series may have taken a fatal blow after the NSW opener was dismissed for a four-ball duck on day one of the Sheffield Shield clash against Victoria on Wednesday.

After the Vics were dismissed for 240 on a sunny afternoon at the Junction Oval, Konstas, 20, left his opening three deliveries before he was trapped lbw by Test fast bowler Scott Boland with about an hour left in the day.

Konstas is the incumbent Test opener alongside veteran Usman Khawaja, but needed runs in the opening two Shield matches to rubber-stamp his Ashes berth.

He made only four and 14 against WA last week after plundering a century last month on the Australia A tour of India.

Konstas has worked on his front-foot trigger movement, but it did not help him on this occasion.

National selector Tony Dodemaide is on duty at the game, and had spoken with Konstas before the Blues resumed fielding after tea.

Marnus Labuschagne, the former long-time Test No.3 who opened the batting in the World Test Championship final this year before being dropped, appears to be Konstas’ biggest rival for the opener’s spot.

Labuschagne made a Shield century against Tasmania last week, and will look to strengthen his bid for a recall in the ongoing clash against South Australia.

Konstas’ latest failure came on a day when forgotten Test batsman Peter Handscomb and Mitch Perry were the only Victorians to pass 50 on a lively deck after the home team had been sent in to bat. Former Test opener Marcus Harris (four off seven deliveries) also failed with the bat.

Konstas’ Blues teammate Liam Hatcher, who claimed 5-88 earlier in the day, backed him to emerge from his slump.

“Scotty Boland, with a new one anywhere, you can put him on the M4, and he would still be tough going,” Hatcher said.

“That’s what happens when you face the new ball – you are going to get good ones.

“He is a really confident kid, as you have seen, and I have no doubt there is still an innings here and plenty of time before that first Test to build. He will come good.”

Harris, with 61 and 13 in Adelaide last week, also needed a big score to enter Ashes calculations, but he threw his bat at a delivery just outside off stump from Blues skipper Jack Edwards and was caught behind.

Young guns Harry Dixon (six off 15) and Ollie Peake (16 off 19) were also unable to post a big score. Dixon has been ushered into an opening role, where he hopes to emulate his idol, David Warner.

Peake, whose unbeaten 70 in the second innings in Adelaide guided the Vics to victory, did provide one of the highlights of the morning when he threw his hands at a wide delivery from Sean Abbott, the sliced delivery flying over the rope at third man for six.

Abbott was later subbed out of the match in the first test of the Shield’s substitute rule trial and a potential blow to Australia’s Ashes bowling back-up plan.

Abbott split the webbing on his right hand when fielding off his own bowling to a push from Handscomb. The Test hopeful had just started his 10th over when he was forced to leave the field.

Abbott had the injury assessed, with Blues medical staff opting to sub him out and replace him with fellow fast bowler Charlie Stobo.

His injury comes as Australia continue to debate how best to replace skipper and star bowler Pat Cummins for the first Ashes Test from November 21.

Under new rules introduced this season, teams are allowed to replace a player injured up until stumps on day two of the match. To ensure fairness, the opposing team can make a tactical substitution in response, also by stumps on day two. The opposition’s tactical sub must also be like-for-like to the injured player.

The rule was an advancement on the concussion replacement rule that remains at all levels of cricket, including Test matches.

“We hope to learn much about the trial across the first five rounds that we can use in both our competition going forward and also pass up to the ICC for consideration for introduction at Test level,” Cricket Australia operations boss Peter Roach said when the rule was introduced.

Abbott must now complete a 12-day stand-down period from national or domestic competitions, beginning from Friday – the day after the scheduled second day of the match. He has been selected in Australia’s Twenty20 squad to face India, beginning October 29 in Canberra.

While split webbing is typically not a long-term injury, Abbott’s setback comes at an inopportune time of the season.

Abbott adds to a growing list of injured fast bowlers, including Cummins, who is dealing with a back stress reaction and will almost certainly miss next month’s opening Ashes Test.

The Blues will resume on 3-39 on Thursday.

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