Sam Konstas is a star in the making. The Australian cricket team threw him into the fire, and he’s risen like a phoenix. Making his debut in front of a packed crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and that too on the biggest match of the summer, the Boxing Day Test, Konstas brought his maiden Test fifty moments after the first hour ended.
Sam Konstas’ dream Test debut start with maiden fifty
On his way to his hundred, he smashed Jasprit Bumrah, the best bowler in the world. At first, he had a ramp battle with him. Konstas played and missed the first two. Then, hit three boundaries to the modern great who was thrown off by the youngster. In the last over of his spell (11th), Konstas hit Bumrah for 18 runs.
The start may have been T20, but the end was Test. After the initial takedown of Bumrah, Konstas reverted to normal cricket. He was still very aggressive, but he toned down on ramps as soon as Bumrah was thrown off his lines. He pulled, came down the track, and lofted on drives but seemed in much more control than he was looking to send everything over the slips.
Jasprit Bumrah forgettable first spell
This was the first time Bumrah was hit for more than 15 runs in an over and the first time he conceded two sixes in Test cricket. All of this happened in the space of 6 overs as Bumrah went at 6.30 runs per over and got no wickets. Of the 38 runs that the premier fast bowler gave away, 34 came from Konstas’ bat.
He was on the money until the 5th over, but after the 19-year-old took him on, everything went wayward. It wasn’t that Bumrah was erring in his lines, but that Konstas was attacking wherever he was bowling. He hit Bumrah in the front and back V on full deliveries. On an attempted yorker, he stepped away to guide it down to third man.
