Melbourne, 26 December (UITV)- Australian young opener Sam Constas has made his debut in the Boxing Day Test match being played between India and Australia and with his excellent batting, he gave a tough challenge to the Indian bowlers, especially Jasprit Bumrah. 19-year-old Constas did not spare the world’s number one bowler like Jasprit Bumrah during his innings and surprised everyone with his aggressive batting during the match. His performance was a warning for the Indian team, as he scored 60 runs in 65 balls, which was like warning Team India for the remaining matches of the series.
Constas hit a great boundary while playing a ramp shot against Bumrah in the seventh over of the innings. After this, he also hit several fours and two sixes in Bumrah’s next over. This was an indication that he was facing the Indian bowlers without any fear and his confidence was clearly visible. The special thing was that in the last four years, it had become difficult to get any opportunity to hit a six against the top bowler of the Indian team, Jaspreet Bumrah, but Konstas broke this myth by targeting Bumrah.
The calm Bumrah was surprised by this aggressive attitude of Konstas. When Bumrah came to bowl the 11th over of the innings, Konstas scored 18 runs with the help of a six and two fours. Even before this, in the seventh over of the innings, targeting Jaspreet Bumrah, Konstas took 14 runs with the help of a six and two fours. These consecutive aggressive shots reflected Konstas’ sportsmanship and confidence.
Speaking to Fox Cricket after the match, Konstas said, “It’s unbelievable, look at the number of spectators. I am just trying to play with some freedom and trust myself and hopefully I will be able to score some more runs.” It was clear from his words that he was feeling very comfortable and was not feeling any pressure in his batting. When asked about his ramp shot against Bumrah and whether it was a pre-planned shot, Konstas replied, “I focused on the ball coming down. I will continue to aim forward and I hope it happens again, but let’s see what happens next.” Konstas had a great debut match, as he completed his half-century in just 52 balls in his first innings, which was the third fastest half-century in Australian Test history. Earlier, this feat was achieved by Adam Gilchrist and Ashton Agar. Konstas’ innings has become an inspiration for young players, proving that with the right mindset and confidence, any player can make a mark in Test cricket. His innings can be seen as a warning for the Indian team. Konstas shared an 89-run partnership for the wicket before being LBW off Ravindra Jadeja, which was an important step towards his and the Australian team’s success. It was clear from his batting that he was playing without any pressure and was moving towards scoring big for his team.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan also praised Konstas and called him a fearless player. Pathan posted on his X account, “What I see in Sam Konstas is fearlessness. This is what Australia wanted. We wanted someone who could face Jasprit Bumrah in a different way.” Pathan’s words proved to be right, as Konstas proved with his aggressive shots against Bumrah that he can continue his game even under pressure.
This performance of Konstas in this Test match was not just a personal achievement, but it was also a challenge for the Indian bowlers. He proved that young players can challenge any opponent with aggression and confidence. This is a big sign for Team India for the next matches of the series that they will have to change their strategies to deal with fearless and aggressive batsmen like Konstas.
This young Australian player impressed everyone with his batting and put his team in a strong position. This innings of Konstas can become a role model for young players in Test cricket, which shows that if there is confidence and the right mindset, any player can make his team win.
