In the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25 against India at the MCG on December 26, Sam Konstas made his debut for Australia. Against a strong opponent and on the biggest stage, the 19-year-old was singing. The highlight of his fast-paced innings came when he launched reverse scoops against Jasprit Bumrah and smashed one of them for a maximum.
The right-handed hitter was declared LBW after falling victim to Ravindra Jadeja. He hit two maximums and six boundaries in 60 runs off of just 65 balls. Ravi Shastri, a former cricket player for India, praised the young player’s actions, highlighting how he targeted Jasprit Bumrah, the country’s top pacer.
“In any form of cricket, let alone red-ball cricket, I don’t believe anyone has ever taken or treated Bumrah that way. It was something else entirely for him to go out there with that swag and try some crazy shots. That MCC coaching guidebook was ripped to pieces by him. India seemed to have ran out of ideas at one point. “They truly had no idea what had hit them,” Shastri stated on Star Sports.
At the beginning, the Indian players were grinning when he missed the first two shots. “If he takes chances, we’ll get him quickly,” they reasoned. However, all of the smiles vanished as soon as this began to occur. “The concepts vanished,” he continued.
It makes me think of Virender Sehwag a lot: Ravi Shastri
In Test cricket, Virender Sehwag was the first to bat without restrictions. Observing the enthusiasm, Shastri noted that the batter reminded him of Sehwag.
Given the way he plays and the chances he takes, I would guess he will occasionally fail. It makes me think of Virender Sehwag at the beginning of his career. He’s born to amuse, so when he starts going, he’ll entertain. He’ll do just that if he plays for Australia for a long time,” he continued.
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