Sam Konstas bolts into Test contention as Mark Taylor makes big call on batting prodigy

Teenage cricket prodigy Sam Konstas has been rewarded for his stunning form for NSW in the Sheffield Shield with a call-up for the Australia A side that was unveiled on Monday. And former Aussie Test captain Mark Taylor has made a stunning call that the 19-year-old opener could be a bolter for Australia's Test squad for the five-match series against India, starting next month.

Konstas has rocketed into Test calculations after becoming the youngest player since Aussie legend Ricky Ponting to hit two centuries in the same Shield match, with the boom NSW opener hitting his twin tons in the draw against South Australia last week. Konstas belted 105 from 225 balls after making 152 in a breakout first innings.

And now Konstas has been fast-tracked into the Aussie fold by winning selection in the Australia A squad that will play two games against India A, starting later this month. Konstas will have another opportunity to cement his status as arguably the most exciting young batting prospect in Australia when NSW take on Victoria in a star-studded Sheffield Shield clash beginning next Sunday at the MCG.

If Konstas can build on his incredible form for NSW in the Shield, there is every chance he could bolt into Test calculations for Australia, considering an injury to Cam Green that's ruled the allrounder out of the India series. The Green setback is expected to see Steve Smith pushed back down to No.4, with his experiment as opener not really going as he would have hoped.

Former Australia captain Taylor has singled out Cameron Bancroft as the frontrunner to earn a Test recall and partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order. Bancroft has been the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield for the past two seasons and could consider himself unlucky not to have been picked to succeed David Warner when the veteran opener retired from Test cricket in January.

Mark Taylor 'not ruling out' Sam Konstas for Test selection

However, Taylor said he wouldn't rule Konstas out of earning a shock Test call-up for Australia and says the team needs to start planning for life after Khawaja. The veteran opener is still in fine form and ranked No.5 on the ICC's Test batting list. But Khawaja will be 38 in December and Taylor believes Aussie selectors should be looking at the likes of Konstas, with one eye on the future.

"He's not going to play that much longer either so we're going to need to find another opener so that's when I'd then think about going back to a (Marcus) Harris or (Matt) Renshaw to replace the left-handed Khawaja so that's what I'd be thinking at the moment," Taylor told Wide World of Sports. "There's some big Shield games coming up. NSW play Victoria in the next week or so, that'll be a big game. If Sam Konstas is playing well I would not rule him out of playing the first Test match."

Another star hoping to stamp his claims for a Test call-up in the Shield and the Australia A matches is South Australia’s captain, Nathan McSweeney, whose battling century with Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey helped deny Konstas and his NSW side a win last week. McSweeney has been named captain of the Australia A side and his leadership qualities will be closely monitored by Australian selectors.

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Tasmanian all-rounder Beau Webster also looks set to be rewarded for a superb last 12 months with bat and ball, while fringe Test stars Bancroft and Marcus Harris are also set to feature in the four-day matches for Australia A. West Australians Cooper Connelly, Aaron Hardie and off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli, plus Victorian seamers Fergus O’Neill and Scott Boland are among a number of other exciting inclusions in the 17-man Australia A squad.

Australia A squad:

Nathan McSweeney (c), Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Jordan Buckingham, Cooper Connolly, Ollie Davies, Marcus Harris, Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Michael Neser, Todd Murphy, Fergus O'Neill, Jimmy Peirson, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Mark Steketee, Beau Webster

with AAP