Sam Konstas reveals Jasprit Bumrah regret, surprise Virat Kohli encounter after scintillating Test debut
In an exclusive interview, Sam Konstas says if he had his time over again he wouldn’t say a word to Jasprit Bumrah, and reveals the surprise aftermath to his showdown with Virat Kohli.
Sam Konstas has opened up on his whirlwind arrival to Test cricket and revealed if he had his time over again he wouldn’t say a word to Jasprit Bumrah.
The 19-year-old admits he’s on a journey of self-discovery where he is learning on the job and while he loved every minute of his stunning entry to the big time against India, there are things he may have done differently and will do differently in the future.
Konstas captured the attention of the cricketing world as he swung for the fences as an explosive big-hitter and went toe-to-toe with Indian legends Virat Kohli and Bumrah; conceding the occasion got the better of him at times as he strives to find the right balance of who he wants to be.
“It was my first time playing in front of 90,000 people on day one at the MCG and I was like, ‘holy crap, this is surreal,” Konstas told this masthead.
“Playing against legends of the game like Kohli and Bumrah and playing with legends like Steve Smith and Pat Cummins, it is what I’ve dreamt of as a kid and I was just trying to soak up every second of it really.
“I’m very fortunate as a 19-year-old to be getting that experience and learning from the best.
“Everyone’s cheering. I think at stages the emotions got to me a bit. I loved every second of it but there’s great learnings to be had and reflect on and hopefully in future tours I can learn from that.
“I feel like I want to be a humble person and someone who is giving back to the game.
“I want to try and sign all the autographs for kids and take photos and things like that. I want to be known off the field as being a nice person.”
While Konstas didn’t get a chance to clear things up with Bumrah in the craziness of the Sydney Test wrapping up, he did end his sensational showdown with Kohli from the MCG on a surprising note, with the youngster going out of his way to tell the old warrior who had shoulder charged him on Boxing Day that he was always – and still is – his boyhood hero.
“I had a little chat after the game telling him that I idolise him, and it’s obviously a huge honour playing against him,” Konstas said.
“When I did verse him, I was like, ‘wow, Virat Kohli is batting.’ He just had that presence about him, all the Indian crowd getting amongst it. Chanting his name. It was quite surreal.
“He was very down to earth. A lovely person and just wishing me all the best saying hopefully I go well on the tour of Sri Lanka he said if I’m in.
“My whole family loves Virat. I’ve idolised him from a young age and he’s a legend of the game.
“He’s changed the game with his batting style, the way he goes about things. He’s good in all three formats, for such a long period of time. Hopefully one day I can aspire to be that.”
Konstas stunned even those who have known him since his junior days with his audacious use of the ramp shot to Bumrah on debut at the MCG and his explosive hitting in Sydney – but the star opener insists he was playing the role he thought was needed against the master Bumrah and that this is not how fans should expect to see him bat all the time.
“I thought that was the best method at that time,” Konstas said.
“With me being new into the team I thought, let’s try put a bit of pressure because all series I don’t think we had a lot of intent like that. Maybe it was a bit too much. But I thought that was the best style at that time but on future tours, I think it will change with my game plans and how I go about things.”
Konstas said the honour of receiving his baggy green cap with his family beside him at the MCG on Boxing Day was the one moment from the summer he will never forget.
Indebted to his mum and dad, older brother and twin brother for the sacrifices they have made for him to realise his baggy green dream, Konstas let slip that father, Jim now has a promise to live up to.
“I told dad when I was a younger kid, if I ever debut you’ve got to get a tattoo of my (Test) number, so hopefully he does that pretty soon and keeps his word,” Konstas said.
Konstas became embroiled in a controversy in the final over on day one of the Sydney Test, when he exchanged words with a fired-up Bumrah, who then turned on the teenager – along with most of his Indian teammates – two balls later when Usman Khawaja was dismissed.
Australian coach Andrew McDonald and captain Pat Cummins rallied behind Konstas and lashed India for “intimidating” the young man and questioned the lack of action taken by ICC match officials for Kohli and Bumrah’s treatment of Konstas in the first two Tests.
Konstas insists all he said to Bumrah was that Khawaja was not ready to face up, but admits in hindsight he shouldn’t have got involved from the non-striker’s end.
“I feel like I love being in the contest and trying to put my best foot forward,” Konstas said.
“I feel like it’s probably a good learning for me. I was trying to waste a little bit of time there so they didn’t get another over. But he (Bumrah) had the last laugh.
“Obviously he is world class and he took, what, 32 wickets in the series.
“If that happened again, maybe I wouldn’t have said anything.”
Konstas said he is OK with people having their own opinions about him and how he bats.
“I feel like I’ve got a close circle and I know which people to go to when things aren’t going well,” Konstas said.
“Everyone’s entitled to their opinions and I respect what they say.”
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