Australian Teen Cricket Phenom Sam Konstas Gets Under The Skin Of India To Change Series

Leave it to Virat Kohli, India’s talismanic batter who doubles as a renowned provocateur, to try to light a fire under his beleaguered team.

With batting phenom Sam Konstas taking center stage on Australian cricket’s biggest day, India was rattled with Kohli notably seething as this 19-year-old opener single-handedly changed the momentum of a blockbuster Test series between Australia and India tied at 1-1.

After a slow start on a tough surface, Konstas unfurled outrageous strokes to completely bamboozle the previously unplayable Jasprit Bumrah.

Australia reached 10 overs without the loss of the wicket, in a major turnaround after their struggles to the new ball brilliance of Bumrah, as a clearly pumped up Konstas went into the drinks break by animatedly gesturing to the near capacity crowd at the 100,000 MCG to make more noise. It’s the type of theatrics his hero, Kohli, is renowned for.

Watching all of this from close range, Kohli’s blood was boiling. At the end of the 10th over, Kohli seemingly made a beeline for Konstas and bumped shoulders while moving across the pitch before a war of words ensued. It required the calm head of veteran Australia opener Usman Khawaja to cut the altercation short.

But Kohli could find himself in hot water and charged with “inappropriate physical contact” under the ICC’s Code of Conduct.

Long the heart and soul of his team, the passionate Kohli, a god-like hero in his cricket-mad country of more than a billion people, had seemed to spark his teammates and in the process try to rattle Konstas, who is the fourth youngest player to represent Australia in Test cricket.

But there is good reason why Konstas’ debut has been the most hyped for decades. Coaches and teammates in Australian domestic cricket have raved about Konstas’ maturity being beyond his years.

He did not let Kohli’s antics distract him. It only steeled him further with Konstas speeding to a half-century at almost a run a ball. A fairy-tale century on debut appeared to be unfolding until he was out almost innocuously lbw to left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja

“I think the emotions got to both of us,” Konstas later told Channel 7 in the second session as he chose his words wisely to underline he’s part of a new generation used to fronting the cameras. “I didn’t quite realise, I was doing my gloves, then a little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket.”

Konstas’ scene-stealing show might just change this series. India had entered the decisive fourth Test with the momentum after a stirring late fightback ensured the match in Brisbane finished in a draw.

Early on Boxing Day, the most famous day on the Australian cricket calendar, all eyes were on Konstas and whether his innate aggressiveness could prove an x-factor. That was the reason why he was surprisingly selected after the struggles of new opener Nathan McSweeney, who like the older Australian top-order batters had been mired in quicksand against Bumrah.

Konstas had been in the running ahead of the series, but lost out to McSweeney after struggling in what was effectively a ‘bat-off’ against India A. It had appeared, understandably, that the spotlight had been too intense for this young man, who is not even legally allowed to drink alcohol in the U.S.

And the lights appeared to shine too brightly early on Boxing Day when he played and missed numerous against Bumrah. It was as if McSweeney had never been axed and was still laboring in the middle.

Then he tried an outlandish reverse scoop only to miss by a mile. It seemed like only a matter of time before he would fall in a ham-fisted fashion to Bumrah and the eggs would be on the faces of the national selectors.

Underlining his innate confidence, or perhaps indicative of being a wide-eyed youngster, Konstas was not deterred and he kept trying until it came off. Luck was on his side, but the fearlessness was inspiring as Bumrah for a rare time in his career looked helpless.

Boxing Day at the ‘G is a long-time cricket tradition and annually draws the biggest crowd during the summer. But it’s also very much a social event as fans arrive fashionably late with many often preferring the abundance of watering holes and private suites than the terraces.

Amid sweltering conditions, giddy fans were rushing to their seats with Konstas producing one of the most remarkable performances seen by a debutant. Every boundary was greeted with fans literally jumping out of their seats as a new star arrived in the most thrilling way imaginable.

Australia for decades have always had a superstar batter in their ranks. The baton has passed seamlessly between Greg Chappell, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Steven Smith. But with Smith’s superhuman powers fading in recent years, Australia have been searching for their new batting hero.

Sam Konstas, who at this stage of life sports a rather wispy moustache, has stepped up and has helped rejuvenate an aging Australian Test team.

He plays in the new-age cavalier style of batting, something like ‘Bazball’ which is something of a dirty word in this part of the world, but it worked a treat as he knocked Bumrah off his rhythm, riled up Kohli and possibly changed Australia’s fortunes in a Border-Gavaskar Trophy where tensions are boiling over.