Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25: 19-year-old Australian opener Sam Konstas scores a fifty on his Test debut. The journey of Sam Konstas to the international cricket and more.
The Boxing Day MCG Test has sprung to life as the cricketing fraternity became witness to an unforgettable debut from the young 19-year-old Sam Konstas who set the stage on fire with his scintillating batting. Very young into his international career, Konstas did not allow the lack of experience to hold him back. He took on some of the very best in the business and outsmarted the India bowlers with his innovative ramp shots and reverse scoops.
Be it Bumrah’s menacing spell with the new ball or Virat’s fiery on-field exchange with the youngster, Konstas seemed resolute and went on to smash a breezy 60 to lift his side to a commanding position by the end of the first session on day one. And by doing so, Konstas has now become the third fastest half-centurion for Australia as a Test opener.
Konstas also impressed in Canberra’s practice game
Let’s delve deeper into how the New South Wales-born burst onto the international stage and stoked fear into the minds and hearts of some of the best bowlers in world cricket.
Prior to his electrifying MCG debut, Konstas left a telling impact in the two-day practice match played in Canberra. Against a potent India bowling attack, Konstas slammed an impressive 107 and scored at an impressive strike rate of 110 to drag PM Xl’s score to 246. His ability to play an attacking brand of cricket stood out the most during the rain-marred two–day match. In his 97-ball innings, Konstas hit 14 fours and a six. Although his side ended up on the losing side, that knock helped him announce his arrival on the big stage. The world took cognizance of his innings and realised something big was around the corner.
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Effectively countering the ‘Bumrah’ threatÂ
The standout feature in Konstas’ 65-ball blazing innings was the way he countered the threat of Jasprit Bumrah and the manner in which he took him on. The 19-year-old ended Bumrah’s long-standing three-year streak of not conceding a single six in Test cricket. Besides, he also clobbered him for two sixes becoming only the second player to do so in a Test innings. To see Bumrah’s dominance being challenged by a player as young as Konstas in such an atrocious manner is far from imaginable.
After being very watchful for the first two overs, Konstas broke from the shackles and began taking the fight to Bumrah & Co. Most of India’s plans were centered around containing the impending threat from Travis Head who has been in dream form in the series. But such a petrifying onslaught from a block as young as Konstas on debut was least expected.
Playing in front of nearly 80,000 spectators, Konstas showed no signs of fear or nervousness while going after the likes of Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep. His belligerent batting display left the India bowlers searching for answers and forced the skipper to fall back to a defensive field set as early as the 10th over.
Konstas achieved an impressive score of 34 runs off 33 balls against Bumrah, which included a remarkable 18 runs in a single over. This marks the highest number of runs Bumrah has ever conceded in an over in Test cricket. Konstas managed to hit two sixes off him, a feat previously accomplished only by Jos Buttler, who did so without opening the batting on his debut. Konstas played some sensational shots to entertain the MCG crowd. He was quick to pounce on him and deployed a range of innovative ramp shots early on, which included a scoop on the leg side, and two reverse scoops over the slip cordon.
Mohammed Siraj also attempted to get under his skin, a ploy which severely backfired for him and for India. Not only did the youngster show his resilience, but also maintained a calm composure on the field while being sledged by the India speedster. His response to his sledge was impeccable as the young batting stalwart ran towards Siraj and struck him, resulting in a boundary on the subsequent delivery. He then returned the gesture, energising the crowd with a hand signal shortly thereafter.
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The perfect replacement for McSweeneyÂ
Konstas comes in as a perfect replacement for Nathan McSweeney, who had a horrible time while facing Bumrah. The man Konstas replaced, scored 15 off 66 balls with four dismissals against Bumrah in three Test matches. McSweeney’s sluggish efforts with the bat have prevented the home side from getting off to flying starts. Whereas, with the presence of Konstas in the middle, Australia were able to register their first fifty-plus opening stand of the series.
It goes without saying that Konstas has made a name for himself. It is still very early days for him but the signs are quite clear that the youngster is on a mission and could very well go on to become one of the best batting talents produced by Australia in recent times. Although a score of 60 (65) is by no means a grand score at the Test level, the manner in which he dominated the India bowlers and rocked them on the back foot early on in the first session highlights his attacking instinct as a batter.
Moreover, the world also got a glimpse of how the likes of Bumrah can be tackled. The star pacer was thrown off course and was not allowed to settle into a rhythm. The 19-year-old has set an example for his side and the rest of the out-of-form Aussie batters may just take a leaf out of his book on neutralising Bumrah’s threat successfully. At the moment, India seems to be overly dependent on Bumrah, and should Konstas continuously succeed in finding a way to outclass the premier India pacer with his innovative strokeplay, then Australia will in all likelihood dominate the remainder of the BGT Test series.
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