Scary day for test aspirants, all four players out cheaply

Youngster Sam Konstas had a golden opportunity to further his claims for Test selection which was scuppered by a controversial LBW call, further complicating the decision as to who would open for Australia.

Star NSW teammate Steve Smith was also dismissed cheaply in the morning session on the second day of the Sheffield Shield match at the MCG as the Victorian attack mounted a strong counterattack on Monday.

NSW were bowled out for 13 after the home team was bowled out for 272.

It was a bad day for the potential Test openers, as Konsta was out for two and Marcus Harris was out for 16 in Victoria’s reply, with Mitchell Starc out cheaply for the second time in the match.

WA veteran Cameron Bancroft, after being out twice for a duck in the first round against Queensland, was out for eight shortly after lunch against Tasmania at the WACA on Monday.

And Matt Renshaw was also out LBW for two runs for Queensland against South Australia, as his hopes of returning to the Test team continued to fade with the vacant spot at the top of the order.

Constas was seen as a potential bowler for the first Test against India after two Shield centuries against South Africa and was also named in the Australia A squad to play India A.

But hunting at his favorite MCG venue, Scott Boland had Konstas out LBW for four.

Constas immediately pointed out that the ball was shaping up down the leg side, but the umpire did not agree.

It was a cruel way to end his innings, with replays indicating that Boland’s off-cutter might have hit Konstas in the line of leg stump as he played a defensive shot towards mid-on but the ball was clear. Seemed to miss the wicket.

Constas, Bancroft, Harris and Renshaw are in the running to replace injured all-rounder Cameron Green in the Australian Test line-up, but the selectors face a headache over the vacancy left by Smith’s move back to No. 4. Who is entitled to the place?

Boland, who will be pushing for Test selection again this summer, was unlucky not to trap second opener Nick Maddinson LBW.

But Maddinson was caught by Peter Handscomb at second slip off the bowling of Will Sutherland before the second wicket fell after scoring only 19 runs.

Sam Konstas. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/Getty Images)

Smith, who came in at No. 3 on Monday, scored three runs in 29 balls and was caught out by opening bowler Fergus O’Neill in Maddinson’s next over.

Moises Henriques then fell on the same score to the same bowler, leaving NSW in big trouble at 4-43 at lunch.

Oliver Davies and Josh Philippe tried to mount a rescue mission in mid-season.

But Davis misplayed the pull shot and was caught at deep backward square leg by Campbell Kellaway for 37.

From 4-83, NSW’s tail failed to wag and they fell 136 runs short of Victoria’s first innings total.

Wicks reached 4-90 after Harris dismissed Starc.

At the WACA, Bancroft opened his account for the summer by hitting two consecutive fours through slip and gully as Tasmania replied to the home side’s total of 277 runs batting first.

On the very next ball, he dodged a short ball from Riley Meredith and got hit on his helmet.

The right-handed batsman fell shortly afterwards, caught by Kieran Elliott’s delivery outside off stump to wicketkeeper Jake Doran.

Bancroft has been the leading run-scorer in the Shield over the past two summers, and should go down in history to open against India in Perth on November 22.

But the lack of runs now leaves him in danger of disappointing when it matters most, despite being caught out for 0 in the opening two innings of the Shield earlier this month.

Renshaw’s two-run stand against South Australia at Allan Border Field was hampered by the fall of opening partner Usman Khawaja for a duck, who was trapped in front by steady fast bowler Nathan McAndrew.

with AAP