Sam Konstas has shown signs of tempering his aggression before being caught at point for 17 in NSW's Sheffield Shield clash with Victoria.

One day after raising eyebrows around the country, Konstas put the ramp and the slog sweep away as NSW took charge of their Shield match at the SCG on Wednesday.

After Jackson Bird's early double-strike left Victoria all out out for 182 in reply to the Blues' 238, NSW were 4-134 at stumps on day two and leading by 190 runs.

The SCG match looms as crucial in this summer's Shield season, with both teams vying to finish in the top two with three rounds to play.

But realistically, all eyes were on Konstas after his seven-ball cameo on Monday that finished with him being bowled trying to slog-sweep Scott Boland on 10.

Where the opener reverse-scooped his second ball on Tuesday and charged down the deck to his third, he left three of his first four balls on Wednesday.

It took him 13 balls to get off the mark, taking a quick single when he dropped and ran following a forward defence to Boland.

With NSW coach Greg Shipperd and Blues batting coach Nick Larkin sitting in the boundary dug-out, Konstas waited exactly 30 balls before his first real attacking shot.

Runs then came in something of a flurry, toeing a short and wide ball for four from Will Sutherland before middling a cut shot from an equally poor delivery on the next ball.

The right-hander hit another loose ball from Sutherland to the point boundary, before he picked out the point fielder to a delivery outside off stump from Boland.

Konstas has now made scores of 3, 22, 10 and 17 since returning from Sri Lanka this month, after selectors preferred Travis Head play as an opener in Asia.

But Wednesday's innings at least showed a change in temperament for Konstas, after his crash-and-bash innings had prompted questions on if he would win back his spot for the World Test Championship final in June.

Konstas had made his name on the back of more conventional batting earlier this summer, leaning heavily on his cover drive during twin tons against South Australia in October.

He then earned headlines for his efforts to disrupt Jasprit Bumrah's rhythm on Boxing Day, flying to 60 on debut while scooping the Indian maestro and jumping down the wicket.

While that had earned global interest, questions had remained over whether the approach could work long-term.

Those doubts intensified on Tuesday, with former Test opener and ex-NSW coach Phillip Jaques among those to be critical.

"I'm all for entertainment and good batting, but that wasn't good batting on day one. It was good fun for five minutes," Jaques said in Shield commentary on Wednesday.

"It was better application from Konstas today, he was really patient and gave himself a chance to get in.

"It was a better innings, but unfortunately not much to show for it."

After Konstas fell on Wednesday, Josh Philippe was involved in the day's most bizarre moment when umpire Simon Lightbody began to give him out lbw to Mitch Perry on 25, before Lightbody changed his mind.

Phillipe rubbed salt into the wound when he hit Todd Murphy onto the roof of the Members' Stand in the next over, before being caught off Boland (2-29) shortly afterwards for 31 off 51 balls, including four fours and two sixes.