Angry cricket fans have rounded on Usman Khawaja after a surprise move from the veteran batter towards his teammate and Test debutant Sam Konstas on Boxing Day. Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bat on a sweltering day at the MCG, where the mercury is set to approach 40C. It meant 19-year-old Konstas was asked to face his first ball in Test cricket straight away on Thursday morning, having replaced Nathan McSweeney as opener.
Many fans expected the vastly more experienced Khawaja to front up to Indian wicket-machine Jasprit Bumrah and take the first ball of the fourth Test. However, it was the teenage debutant who was given a baptism of fire after being asked to face the first ball of the Test in front of a packed house at the MCG, with Bumrah steaming in for the visitors.
Konstas saw off a typically dangerous first over from the world’s best bowler Bumrah, who beat the debutant’s bat a couple of times after in a maiden opening over on Boxing Day. The 19-year-old got off the mark with a couple of runs down to square leg in Bumrah’s next over before demonstrating the confidence of youth with an attempted scoop off the Indian quick moments later.
Fans question why Usman Khawaja did not face first ball
The 19-year-old debutant showed he wasn’t fazed by the pressure after repeating the trick in Bumrah’s next over, but once again failed to get any bat on the unorthodox shot. It proved to be a precursor to stunning scenes that would soon follow but fans were shocked that Konstas had been made to face the first ball and turned on Khawaja for not taking the bullet, considering his vast experience.
As if Khawaja has made Konstas face up to Bumrah first. Shithouse
— JayRad (@jayrad198900) December 25, 2024
This coward Khawaja is making the youngster Konstas face the new ball 🤣
— Yonis (@lastdanceszn) December 25, 2024
konstas is half your age khawaja have some shame and take strike
— Chops (@ChopsUtd) December 25, 2024
Why did Khawaja allow Konstas to face Bumrah in the first over?!!😭😐😐😐
— Clifford #AFC (@Coster_Rama2) December 25, 2024
Bumrah has been the best bowler in the Border-Gavaskar series so far after taking 21 wickets heading into the Boxing Day Test and looking unplayable at times throughout the first three Test matches. But Konstas showed he cared little about reputations after returning to the scoop shot with devastating effect in the Indian spearhead’s fourth over.
The 19-year-old began the seventh over by ramping Bumrah over the top of India’s wicketkeeper for a boundary, before reverse scooping the paceman for a six off the very next ball. Konstas had clearly identified a way of blunting Bumrah’s effectiveness and he wasn’t afraid of the risk associated with his audacious approach.
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With Konstas belting the Indian attack to the boundary at will, Virat Kohli turned to some intimidatory tactics to try and unsettle the teen. The veteran Indian batter appeared to make a beeline towards Konstas and bumped into him at the end of the 10th over, sparking an exchange of words between the players before Khawaja came in to break it up.
Cricket world loses it over audacity of Sam Konstas on debut
The incident did not appear to faze Konstas in the slightest, with the Test rookie hitting three boundaries from the reverse scoop off the one Bumrah over. The flurry of boundaries saw Konstas rocket onto 19 runs off just 27 balls to leave Bumrah and the Indians scratching their heads and viewers praising the sheer audacity of the 19-year-old debutant.
Konstas kept his aggressive approach going to quickly surge towards a dream half century on Test debut. And the 19-year-old notched the milestone after scampering through for a risky second run off the bowling of Mohammed Siraj’s to leave the massive MCG crowd in raptures. Konstas followed it up with another boundary off the next ball.
India soon turned to the spin of Ravindra Jadeja after seeing their quicks belted out of the attack and the change paid dividends almost immediately as Konstas was caught LBW trying to defend a ball that turned less than he probably expected. Konstas walked off to a hero’s reception after a thoroughly entertaining 60 (off 65 balls) to help the Aussies reach 1-112 at lunch.
The extraordinary innings for Konstas – who had only played 11 first class matches before Thursday – set the platform for the Aussies as they look to claim victory in the MCG Test to go 2-1 up in the series. Australia needs to win at least one of the remaining two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney to claim the Border-Gavaskar trophy, with a drawn series enough for India to retain the title.
