Sam Konstas has become an instant hero for Aussie sport fans after he made one of the most remarkable starts to an international career by boldly taking on India in front of 90,000 fans at the MCG on Thursday.
The 19-year-old showed nerves of steel on debut by attacking Jasprit Bumrah – the world’s No.1 ranked bowler who took 21 wickets during the first three Tests to repeatedly destroy Australia’s top order – in the Boxing Day Test.
Bumrah failed to take a wicket during the first session, as Australia went to lunch at 1-112 with Usman Khawaja (38) and Marnus Labuschagne (12) unbeaten.
The flair of Konstas has allowed Khawaja, 19 years his senior, to find form and post his highest score of the series.
Konstas was out lbw for 60 from 65 balls, 30 minutes before lunch to star spinner Ravindra Jadeja, but not before putting together an innings that will go down in Australian cricket folklore.
His stunning knock prompted Aussies and experts including West Indian great Ian Bishop to hail the innings as one of the greatest debuts they’ve seen – with one fan even calling for his image to be added to the nation’s currency.
Sam Konstas is pictured tugging at the Australian emblem on his shirt after scoring 50 from just 52 balls during his Test debut on Boxing Day at the MCG
West Indian cricket legend Ian Bishop was blown away by the 19-year-old’s performance
One fan was so impressed she called for Konstas’s image to be put on Aussie currency
Coming in for axed opener Nathan McSweeney, Konstas survived a brutal first over from Bumrah, when he played and missed four times, to rattle India.
The 19-year-old’s first runs, a two off his legs, were cheered like he had reached a milestone, before launching in extraordinary fashion.
Konstas took India’s most important player for 14 runs, including a six, off one jaw-dropping that all came from ramp shots.
By the ninth over, India had reverted to putting fielders out to the boundary in a bid to tame the NSW whiz kid’s attacking attitude.
Virat Kohli, one of India’s most famous cricketers ever, bumped into the teenager during a dramatic mid-pitch incident at the start of the 10th over.
Khawaja tried to defuse the situation by putting an arm around Kohli and laughing it off, but the incident will be closely looked at by the match referee.
A villain of the Australian crowds this summer, India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj fired off words to Konstas multiple times, but he remained unfazed.
Konstas stunned the crowd and left India rattled when he started smashing the world’s best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, with incredible ramp shots (pictured)
Indian star Virat Kohli slammed his shoulder into the Aussie in an ugly clash between overs
One fan had a field day with Kohli’s brain explosion on X
Konstas and Khawaja’s stand of 89 was the highest by an Australian opening pair during this series.
The fearless right-hander reached his fifty in just 52 balls with a range of shots that are rarely attempted at Test level, especially not a youngster on debut.
The country’s 468th male Test cricketer, Konstas was presented with his baggy green cap by storied former Australia captain Mark Taylor.
He is the fourth youngest Australian male to play at Test level.
Konstas’ innings evoked memories of former star opener David Warner’s international debut, coming at the MCG against South Africa in 2009.
But while Warner did it in a Twenty20, Konstas made his mark on the biggest day on the Australian cricket calendar when the Border-Gavaskar series is still delicately poised at 1-1.
Earlier, Australia captain Pat Cummins won the toss and decided to bat first, with the temperature expected to soar to 39 on Thursday.
Australia must win at least one of the the last two Tests and prevent India from winning again to regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
Cummins was 18 when he made his Test debut and he has impressed on Konstas the need to enjoy the moment and not be over-awed.
“There’s a level of naivety, that you just want to go out and play, like you did when you were a kid in the backyard,” Cummins said.
Anthony Albanese joined in the chorus of praise for Aussie cricket’s brightest young star
“You always want to do well. I was saying this to Sammy the other day, I remember as an 18-year-old thinking ‘I got a lot more leeway, because I was young’ almost publicly.
“I almost felt like if I didn’t have a great game, it wasn’t my fault, it was the selectors’ fault for picking me … they’re the idiots who picked an 18-year-old.”
Travis Head, Australia’s most important player, passed a Christmas morning fitness test and is in the side, while Scott Boland replaces injured paceman Josh Hazlewood.
Boland returns to his home ground and the venue of his famous Test debut when he tore through England with 6-7.
The tourists have fond memories of the MCG, winning their last two Tests there and not having lost at the venue since 2011.
India dropped star No.3 Shubman Gill, bringing in allrounder Washington Sundar as a second spinner to support Ravindra Jadeja.
Under-fire captain Rohit Sharma will move back to the top of the order after batting at No.6 in Adelaide and Brisbane.
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