On debut, Konstas lights up MCG

Australia wanted to offer India something different and it was debutant Sam Konstas who uncorked the party popper in front of a festive crowd on Boxing Day. The 19-year-old bowled a reverse scoop and stormed India’s fast bowlers, unafraid of confrontation and racing away to a 65-ball 60 before Ravindra Jadeja finally dismissed him. Australia, opting to bat on a good surface, raced away to 112 for 1 after the opening session.

Without giving much away, Konstas had said before the game that he had plans to face top-ranked Jasprit Bumrah. On the match day, India’s pace ace managed to hit his bat as many as four times in the opening exchanges. The youngster’s reaction was to attempt a few reverse scoops, but his bat only hit the thin Melbourne air each time. However, this duel turned around in the seventh round when Konstas scored three times with his reverse scoop attempts. Two of them hit the ropes and the other fell over them – the first time Bumrah had conceded a six in this format since the 2021 Sydney Test. It was a cat among pigeons for India and Bumrah quickly returned to white-ball bowling.

After forcing India into a fly stop in the first hour of a Test match, Konstas set about a new plan: take a step back and force the fast bowlers through the offside. He batted away anything that fell short through mid-wicket, not afraid to hit the ball in the air. Bumrah’s opening six overs cost India 38 runs, with Konstas scoring 34 of the 33 he faced with India’s talisman. More importantly, it meant that Usman Khawaja, who lost to Bumrah four times in the series, only faced three balls from his nemesis in that first over and was able to get his innings going against the others.

Konstas became Australia’s second youngest Test match half-centurion, achieving the feat in just 52 balls. He marked this feat by smashing Siraj for a four and a six off the next two deliveries, taking his boundary tally to eight (6x4s; 2x6s). His venture eventually ended on 60 when Jadeja beat him to the inside edge and won an lbw appeal. But the youngster, who returned to a rousing ovation, had set up the innings for the remaining batters against a ball that was already 20 overs old. This was indicative of Marnus Labuschagne’s confident start with two boundaries against Jadeja as Khawaja advanced to 38*. India, who opted to bring Washington Sundar into the XI at the expense of a pure batter in Shubman Gill, will be tasked with fighting back on the opening day.

Short results:Australia 112/1 (Sam Konstas 60, Usman Khawaja 38*; Ravindra Jadeja 1-20) vs India