Fans were captivated as Australia’s young batting sensation Sam Konstas made a stunning debut against India on Day 1 (Thursday, December 26) of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. The 19-year-old right-hander smashed 60 off 65 balls, including two sixes and six fours.
Konstas built an 89-run opening stand with Usman Khawaja and took Jasprit Bumrah head-on, scoring 34 off 33 deliveries with two sixes and four boundaries, earning widespread praise.
Picked ahead of Nathan McSweeney for his stellar first-class form, Konstas boasts 718 runs in 11 FC games, featuring two centuries and three fifties. Fans on X praised Konstas for his stellar batting on debut:
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“I’ve watched them (Bumrah’s bowling videos)”– Sam Konstas discussed his Test debut preparation
Sam Konstas shared insights on preparing for his debut against India and facing Jasprit Bumrah, telling reporters (via The Times of India):
“Not really. I’ve watched them (Bumrah’s bowling videos) quite a bit but just trying to be in the moment and yeah, hopefully I get the opportunity on Boxing Day. They’re all very good bowlers. Obviously they’re the best in the world but looking forward to the challenge and hopefully I’ll get to experience that this week.”
After facing Jasprit Bumrah in the opening session of Day 1, Sam Konstas was resolute about asserting his dominance over the seasoned India pacer. During the drinks break, he confidently shared his mindset with the media (via Fox Sports):
“I’ll look to keep targeting him. Hopefully he might come back on.”
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Konstas appears to be an ideal replacement for Nathan McSweeney, who struggled against Bumrah, scoring only 15 runs off 66 balls and falling to him four times in the first three Tests of the series.
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