4th Test
Day-1 Morning Session Highlights:
Sam Konstas has played an important role for Australia team on debut
At The Lunch of Day-1:
Australia scored 112/1 (1st Innings) vs India
Australia sought to introduce a fresh challenge for India, and debutant Sam Konstas was the one to deliver, unleashing his skills in front of a festive Boxing Day crowd.
The 19-year-old reverse-scooped and charged India’s fast bowlers fearlessly, engaging in confrontations when needed, and raced to 60 off 65 balls before Ravindra Jadeja finally dismissed him.
Australia, having opted to bat on a favorable surface, ended the opening session at 112 for 1.
Konstas had kept his intentions under wraps before the match, mentioning he had a strategy to counter top-ranked Jasprit Bumrah.
Early on, Bumrah beat his bat four times, but the young debutant responded by attempting reverse scoops, missing each time.
However, the dynamic shifted in the seventh over when Konstas successfully connected with three reverse scoops: two for boundaries, and one over the ropes—a rare six conceded by Bumrah, the first since the 2021 Sydney Test.
This forced Bumrah to adjust his approach, bowling shorter lengths.
With the pressure on India, Konstas’ next move was to back away and drive the fast bowlers through the off-side.
He effortlessly swatted short deliveries through mid-wicket, not afraid to take aerial risks.
Bumrah’s six-over spell saw him concede 38 runs, with Konstas scoring 34 off the 33 balls he faced from India’s talisman.
More crucially, this allowed Usman Khawaja, who had been dismissed four times by Bumrah in the series, to face only three balls from him in that spell, giving him a chance to settle in against the other bowlers.
Konstas became Australia’s second-youngest Test half-centurion, reaching the milestone off just 52 balls.
He celebrated with a four and a six off consecutive deliveries from Mohammad Siraj, bringing his total boundaries to eight (6x4s, 2x6s).
His enterprising knock ended at 60 when Jadeja trapped him LBW, breaking the 89-run opening partnership.
Nonetheless, Konstas had laid the foundation for the rest of the Australian batsmen, setting up a solid platform.
His knock paved the way for Marnus Labuschagne to begin confidently, with boundaries off Jadeja, and Khawaja moving to an unbeaten 38.
India, having brought in Washington Sundar at the expense of Shubman Gill, now faces a challenge to bounce back on the opening day.
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