Teenage star Sam Konstas gets last laugh in Jasprit Bumrah showdown
Sam Konstas’ confidence levels were on full display as Australia sealed a famous victory over India in the fourth Test at the MCG.
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Sam Konstas is a different beast.
The Aussie teenager ignited the Boxing Day Test with his audacious ramp shots and apparent indifference when facing the world’s best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah.
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After his selection was confirmed for the fourth Test at the MCG, Konstas gave an insight into his confidence levels when he boldly declared he “had a few plans” for the Indian attack.
At that point, Bumrah had dominated the Australian batting line-up, taking 21 wickets across the first three Tests.
Konstas then backed up the talk with a half-century that won’t soon be forgotten, smashing two sixes and six boundaries in his 65-ball 60 on debut.
The 19-year-old wasn’t done there, however, stating during his innings that he wanted more of the world’s top-ranked bowler.
“When the ball was coming down, I looked to keep targeting (Bumrah),” he said during a drinks break on Fox Cricket.
”Hopefully he might come back on, but we’ll see what happens.”
The Sydneysider also didn’t take a backward step when Virat Kohli bumped him and tried to intimidate him in an incident that cost the Indian great 20 per cent of his match fee and one demerit point towards his record.
Konstas then spent the next two days signing autographs, posing for selfies and doing his best to rev up the home crowd.
It didn’t go unnoticed by Bumrah, who got his own back when he bowled Konstas for just eight in his second effort.
Mocking the young Aussie’s efforts with the crowd, the 31-year-old playfully took the mickey out of Konstas’ hand waving gesture as the opener trudged off.
Fox Cricket commentator Isa Guha pointed out the spicy nature of Bumrah’s celebration at the time.
“Sam Konstas got the better of Jasprit Bumrah in the first innings and Jasprit Bumrah has just equalised,” she said.
“He’s just saying to the kid, ‘I can get the crowd going too’. How good?”
Aussie cricket great Michael Hussey responded: “It’s a great leveller this sport.
“You experience the highest of highs and then it always come to back to bite you at certain stages.
“The young man will learn a few lessons over the course of his career.”
Not so fast, Huss.
Konstas wasn’t finished, with the brash right-hander getting right in Bumrah’s face and giving him an almighty send-off when the bowler was dismissed late on Monday, as you can see in the video player at the top of the page.
Bumrah’s dismissal was the ninth wicket for an Australian side moving in for the kill, completing the 184-run victory when Nathan Lyon trapped No. 11 Mohammed Siraj LBW, sparking wild celebrations.
It all adds up to some extra spice when the fifth and final Test gets underway at the SCG on January 3.
While Konstas and the Aussies may have won this round, they haven’t yet reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar trophy they so desperately covet.
An Indian victory in Sydney would square the series at 2-2 and allow the trophy to stay in Indian hands for a fifth consecutive match-up.
Having added another nine wickets to his total in Melbourne, Bumrah now has 30 wickets for the series at the ridiculous average of just 12.83.
Barring a 10-wicket haul from Pat Cummins in Sydney, and zero wickets for Bumrah, the Indian quick will end the series with the most scalps as Cummins (20 wickets), Siraj (16) and Mitchell Starc (15) are well back in the pecking order.
Australian women’s captain Alyssa Healy may have summed it up best when she said of Bumrah: “You’ve got to know the bowler always gets the last laugh.”
Yet if Konstas has his way, he will be laughing all the way to the next Test series in Sri Lanka if he can help Australia win this heavyweight showdown.
Originally published as Teenage star Sam Konstas gets last laugh in Jasprit Bumrah showdown
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