As the hosts amassed a commanding 474-run total, Australia’s rookie Sam Konstas stole the show in Melbourne with a courageous 60 against India, winning accolades from Steve Smith and displaying maturity in the face of a heated spat with Virat Kohli.
Sam Konstas, Australia’s 19-year-old rookie, was a remarkable player who attracted a lot of attention for his reckless style during the fourth Test match against India in Melbourne. Australia’s batting guru, Steve Smith, praised the young batter’s bravery and composure, especially in his handling of India’s strong bowling attack, which was led by Jasprit Bumrah.
Konstas, who replaced Nathan McSweeney for the fourth Test, made an immediate impact, scoring 60 off 65 balls. Opening the innings, he had incredible purpose, even reverse-scooping Bumrah for six—a shot that had Smith on edge in the dressing room. Smith played a key role in Australia’s overwhelming first-innings total of 474 by scoring a magnificent 140, but he didn’t hesitate to praise Konstas with setting the tone early in the innings.I don’t think much fazes the young kid, as so we saw yesterday. He was reverse ramping Bumrah for a six and I was having a heart attack up in the box. But look, I thought it was all good. No stress,” Smith said.
The debutant’s maturity went beyond his batting as he handled a heated exchange with his cricketing idol, Virat Kohli. During the first session, Kohli shoulder-checked Konstas, resulting in the ICC fining the Indian batter 20% of his match money. Despite the heated exchange and ensuing media attention, Konstas stayed calm, concentrating on his game and contributing considerably to Australia’s strong position.India’s reaction with the bat was far from satisfactory. Rohit Sharma, who returned to the opening post, left cheaply, increasing the pressure on KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Rahul was dismissed by Pat Cummins for a modest score, but Jaiswal kept the innings going, forging a crucial 102-run stand with Kohli. However, a mix-up between the two resulted in Jaiswal’s tragic run-out at 82—a watershed moment in India’s innings.
