The courageous 19-year-old takes fight back to Bumrah with masterly scoop shots and step-out lofted drives; smashes 60 off 65 deliveries
The deft Bumrah returns with a vengeance, scalping three Aussie wickets in quick succession, including stopping the golden run of Tavis Head, clean bowling him for a duck
With all four of Aussie top order batsmen completing half centuries, hosts comfortably paced at 311/6 at stumps on Day One of Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground
Day One of the Boxing Day 4th Test for the Border-Gavaskar Cup series went exactly by Aussie script. Debutant and the youngest ever batsman to open the innings for the hosts, 19-year-old Sam Konstas, drafted into the squad to replace Nathan McSweeney, did exactly what was expected of him. He broke through the shackles, that tormentor-in-chief Jasprit Bumrah had tied the Aussie top order in right through the series, with a blistering counterattack giving confidence to the others too to express themselves freely.
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Not afraid to take chances with unorthodox shots straight up, Konstas, despite initially attempting and missing some of these dangerous shots, backed himself and unleashed a flurry of fours and sixes, with remarkable scoops and reverse scoops as well as lofted shots in front of the wicket, to race to his half century. He was eventually trapped lbw by Ravindra Jadeja but not before he had plundered 60 runs of just 65 balls (6x4s, 2x6s).
The great Bumrah however extracted sweet revenge later in the day, sending back three Aussie batsmen in quick succession in the third session of play, including the precious ‘head’ of the most prolific batsman of the series Travis, whom he tactfully bowled for a duck with the batsman not offering a shot. The three wickets went down in 23 balls for the addition of only 9 runs.
At stumps on day one, Aussies were comfortably placed at 311/6 with all their top four batsmen reaching half centuries. After Konstas, Steve Smith (68 n.o.), Marnus Labuschagne (72) and Usman Khawaja (57) provided solidity to the Aussie innings.
This is reportedly for the first time on home soil in a decade that every member of Australia’s top four passed fifty in an innings. The only other time that has happened since the 2014-15 SCG Test (also against India) was in 2022 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
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Konstas completely dominated the 89-run opening partnership, which was not only Australia’s highest in 12 months, but also their longest lasting of the series.
He took a rare 18 from a single Bumrah over enroute to his half-century, and for just the second time in the series (after Australia’s first innings at the Gabba) the home team had survived the pace ace’s initial spell without losing a wicket.
Not only did Konstas post the highest maiden score by an Australia Test opener since Will Pucovski’s 62 (also against India) at the SCG four summers ago, his strike rate of 92.3 was the best by any Australia batter to have passed 50 on debut since Ashton Agar’s equally memorable 98 from 101 balls (97.03) at Trent Bridge in 2013.
It was also the third-fastest half-century posted by an Australia batter on debut behind Agar and Adam Gilchrist (against Pakistan at the Gabba in 1999).
India made one change in their playing XI, replacing No. 3 batsman Shubman Gill with allrounder Washington Sundar to give themselves an extra bowling option.
With honours even, India having trounced the hosts by 295 runs in the opener of the 5-Test series at Perth, Aussies hitting back with an equally commanding 10-wicket win at Adelaide in the 2nd, and the third Test in Brisbane ending in a draw due to frequent rain interruptions, whoever takes the lead in the Melbourne Test will be at an advantage to win the series.
Melbourne stats
India have so far played 14 Tests in Melbourne, starting from 1948, and won 4 of those matches while losing 8. The remaining two were drawn.
There have been only two instances when India have won a Melbourne Test on two consecutive tours – in 1977 and 1981 & again in 2018 and 2020.
If India were to win this Test match, it will be their first instance of making a hattrick of victories in Melbourne on consecutive tours.
Australia’s record at MCG: In 116 Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia have won 67 and lost 32, while 17 matches have been drawn.
Australia’s Recent 5 Test Results at MCG: Australia have lost only once in their last five Test matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where the Boxing Day Test is traditionally being hosted since 1968.
Here is a look at Australia’s last five results at the venue:
Australia vs Pakistan: AUS won by 79 runs in 2023
Australia vs South Africa: AUS won by innings and 182 runs in 2022
Australia vs England: AUS won by innings and 14 runs in 2021
Australia vs India: IND won by 8 wickets in 2020
Australia vs New Zealand: AUS won by 247 runs in 2019
Other highlights
With three wickets in his kitty so far at Melbourne, India’s fast bowling wizard Jasprit Bumrah leads all bowlers in the series with 24 wickets, while Aussie pace masters Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have 14 each.
If Australia cannot beat India in both Melbourne and Sydney, the side will need to win at least one Test on Galle’s turning wickets in Sri Lanka next month to keep its World Test Championship title defence alive.
The Galle tests are scheduled to begin on Jan. 29 and Feb. 6.
Virat Kohli’s on-field misconduct
Midway through Konstas’ run riot, while crossing over following end of the 10th over, Virat Kohli was seen quite deliberately taking a collision course and shoulder-nudging the debutant Australian opener in front of a 90,000-strong sellout MCG crowd. It led to an exchange between the players with the other opener, Usman Khawaja, trying to cool things down. The on-field umpires also had to intervene to disengage Kohli from Konstas.
On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Michael Gough, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Shawn Craig charged Kohli with misconduct, following which Kohli was fined 20 percent of his match fee and awarded one demerit point for his misdemeanour. The decision was arrived at by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after a hearing conducted by match referee Andy Pycroft after stumps. Kohli admitted to inappropriate conduct.
Though commenting on the incident Konstas himself just said, “It happens”, Kohli’s act drew instant outrage with Aussie great Ricky Ponting calling for sanctions against the Indian batter. Commentator and former India coach Ravi Shastri also did not approve of Kohli’s act and said it was unnecessary. “There is a line, and you don’t want to overstep that line,” he said.
This was Kohli’s first offence in 24 months. The Thursday’s demerit point will remain in force in Kohli’s record for the next two years.
