Konstas Roars Back With a Long-Awaited Century
So, there’s been a really encouraging story coming out of Australian cricket, and it centers on a young opener who has been through quite a roller-coaster year. Sam Konstas, who burst onto the Test scene last summer with all the hype and promise you’d expect from a teenage debutant, has finally found some much-needed rhythm again. And honestly, the timing couldn’t be better for him.
Konstas has been under real pressure. After that unforgettable Boxing Day Test debut, things just didn’t quite fall his way. His tour of the Caribbean was especially tough — only 50 runs across three Tests, averaging just over eight — and that rough patch ultimately led to him being dropped ahead of the Ashes. For a 20-year-old who had risen so quickly, that kind of setback can hit hard.
Also Read:But yesterday at the SCG, it felt like the old spark returned. Playing for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield, Konstas reached a drought-breaking century, getting to three figures just before the tea break on day one against Queensland. And this wasn’t some lucky or scrappy knock — it was controlled, confident, and full of the natural aggression he’s known for. By tea, he was unbeaten on 107, guiding NSW to a strong 1-221 alongside Kurtis Patterson, who was also looking solid on 49 not out.
What makes this century significant is not just the number, but the context. This was his first Shield hundred since October 2024, when he made twin centuries against South Australia — a performance that helped earn him a place in Australia’s Test XI. He did score a ton for Australia A earlier this year against India A, but that one came on a very batter-friendly pitch in Lucknow where wickets were almost impossible to come by. This one at the SCG felt more substantial, more hard-earned, and more reflective of a player rediscovering his edge.
And you can tell this innings matters for his future. With Jake Weatherald and Travis Head just beginning a new opening partnership in Perth, Konstas knows runs are his only ticket back into national contention. This century won’t guarantee anything yet, but it absolutely puts his name back in the discussion.
Queensland weren’t at full strength — missing Michael Neser to Test duty and Xavier Bartlett to Australia A — but veteran seamer Gurinder Sandhu still made early inroads by removing Matthew Gilkes for 55. Even so, NSW looked firmly in control thanks to Konstas’ stand.
For Konstas, this innings will feel like a breath of fresh air after months of scrutiny and self-doubt. It doesn’t erase the struggles he went through, but it signals that the talent everyone saw in him hasn’t gone anywhere. And now, with the Shield season rolling on, the door is wide open for him to keep building momentum and make the selectors take notice again.
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