Cranbrook to MCG, the rise and rise of teenager Konstas

ON the eve of New South Wales' first Sheffield Shield match of the season against South Australia at Cricket Central in Sydney, Sam Konstas was sitting with his batting coach Tahmid Islam for dinner.

- GOMESH S

ON the eve of New South Wales' first Sheffield Shield match of the season against South Australia at Cricket Central in Sydney, Sam Konstas was sitting with his batting coach Tahmid Islam for dinner. At that time, the teenager who had just turned 19, had a pretty decent year. He had played for Australia U19 and won the World Cup that was hosted in South Africa, and was hoping to lead NSW U19 side to the domestic title. Test cricket was not even in the scheme of things while talking about cricket. Konstas made his first-class debut only last year.

As fate would have it, that week changed everything. The teenager hit centuries in both innings against South Australia, becoming the youngest player to do so in the Sheffield Shield since Ricky Ponting 31 years ago. He also became the third youngest to achieve the feat after Ponting and Archie Jackson. Sir Donald Bradman achieved the same feat when he was 20. Since then, Konstas's life hit the fast forward mode. Seventy-seven days and seven first-class matches later, Konstas is all set to become the youngest Test opener ever for Australia when he walks out in front of a sell-out crowd on Boxing Day at the MCG. He will eclipse the record held by Jackson (19 years, 149 days).