Youngest since Ponting: 19-year-old NSW prodigy notches two tons in the same Shield game

Teen prodigy Sam Konstas has enjoyed a dominant start to the Sheffield Shield season for New South Wales scoring centuries in both innings against South Australia in Sydney.

In just his fifth Shield game, the 19-year-old opener peeled off 152 from 241 deliveries in the first innings and backed that up on Thursday with a ton off 220 balls despite losing five batting partners during his time at the crease.

The right-hander was later removed for 105 as NSW tried to push the game ahead, with captain Moises Henriques later declaring at 6/282, setting SA 389 to win.

Konstas, aged 19 years and 8 days, is the latest teenager since Ricky Ponting to score centuries in both innings of a Sheffield Shield. Ponting achieved the feat at 18 in 1993.

While it’s probably too early for Konstas to be put up in lights as a potential Test opener, Aussie great Kerry O’Keeffe said last December that he felt Konstas was David Warner’s long-term replacement at the top of the Test order despite playing just one First Class game at that stage.

THE 18-YEAR-OLD PRODIGY O’KEEFFE THINKS COULD BE WARNER’S LONG-TERM REPLACEMENT.

With Cameron Green in doubt for the first Test against India, Steve Smith could move back to No. 4, opening up a slot at the top of the order.

The most likely challenger to take that role could be Victoria’s Marcus Harris, who also enjoyed a great start to his Shield campaign with 143 in the first innings against Tasmania at the Junction Oval earlier this week.