Konstas Shows an Outrageous Way to Tackle Bumrah

You knew something was going to happen from the moment Sam Konstas, all of 19, sprinted out of the blocks and onto the field of play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.

- Ashish Magotra

MELBOURNE: It was Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test, Pat Cummins had won the toss, Australia were going to bat and debutant Konstas had reached the middle before everyone else.

Some dismissed that as youthful enthusiasm, a kid trying to calm the nerves. And that is what it felt like for the first over of the match as Jasprit Bumrah beat him four times in six balls. The right-hander struggled to get bat on ball. There were a few knowing glances thrown about as if to say, 'this is Bumrah, he'll school you'.

Then, in the next over from Bumrah, he finally got off the mark with a couple off the second ball. Off the fifth ball, he went for a reverse ramp; a reverse ramp off a bowler who had been pretty much untouchable all series. But Konstas clearly didn't care about appearances. He was brought in to challenge the pacer differently and he was going to do that.

One of the first shots Konstas had pulled off in the nets at the MCG soon after his press conference was a reverse ramp off Marnus Labuschagne chucking with a sidearm. And his reaction right after he'd pulled off the shot? "Bowled Bumrah." So, this wasn't a youngster getting desperate. This was him following his plan to a 'T'.