Australia and India began the fourth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with Australia winning the toss and opting to bat first.
At the close of play on the first day, the hosts posted 311 runs for the loss of six wickets. Nineteen-year-old opener Sam Konstas made his Test debut for Australia and captured attention with his aggressive batting display against Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
The debutant played several remarkable shots and became a focal point of the match. Konstas also exchanged heated words with Indian star batter Virat Kohli, leading to widespread criticism of Kohli's conduct.
Konstas scored 60 runs off 65 balls, including four sixes and two fours, marking a swift innings. He became the fourth youngest Australian cricketer to make his Test debut and registered the third-fastest half-century by an Australian debutant.
Additionally, he achieved the distinction of becoming the first Australian opener to score a rapid half-century on debut.
Facing Bumrah for 33 deliveries, Konstas scored 34 runs, including 18 runs in a single over, making it Bumrah's most expensive over in Test cricket. According to cricket website Cricinfo, no batter had hit a six against Bumrah in Test cricket since January 2021, but Konstas struck two sixes off the Indian pacer.
Speaking to the broadcaster during the drinks break, Konstas expressed confidence in targeting Bumrah again and looked forward to facing him in subsequent overs.
The match witnessed a tense exchange between Konstas and Kohli, which occurred after the completion of the 10th over.
Also Read: IndvsSA: Virat Kohli fined 20% of match fee after Konstas clash
Kohli attempted to distract Konstas with sharp remarks and even pushed him with his shoulder. Usman Khawaja intervened to diffuse the situation before match officials stepped in to resolve the matter.
Reacting to the incident, Konstas stated, "What happens on the field stays on the field." Meanwhile, the ICC penalised Kohli with a 20 per cent match fee deduction and awarded him one demerit point for his physical confrontation.
Konstas' performance drew praise from cricket fans and even Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Posting on social media platform X, Albanese commended the young cricketer, stating, "Sam Konstas, well done."
