4th Test: Shastri lauds Konstas for his extraordinary performance against Bumrah
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New Delhi, Dec 26 (NationPress) Former India coach Ravi Shastri lauded Sam Konstas for his remarkable innings on the opening day of the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday. He described the Australian debutant opener's inaugural half-century as a display of confidence and skill that brought to mind the legendary Virender Sehwag.
Konstas made a striking impression on the first day of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, breaking norms and dismantling India’s strong bowling lineup with a fearless exhibition of stroke play. The 19-year-old debutant's bold strategy, particularly against the formidable Jasprit Bumrah, garnered admiration and comparisons to cricketing greats from analysts and former players alike. “I don’t believe anyone has approached or handled Bumrah in such a manner in any format of the game, especially not in red-ball cricket,” Shastri commented during his remarks on the Star Sports network. “For him to step out with that confidence and attempt some audacious shots—it was something exceptional. He completely disregarded that MCC coaching manual.”
Konstas's innovative ramp shots and daring pulls kept the Indian bowlers on their toes. Shastri recounted how the Indian squad initially underestimated the young batter, only to witness their confidence wane as he began to take charge. “They believed, ‘If he takes risks, we’ll dismiss him quickly’. But once that began happening, all the smiles faded. The ideas vanished,” Shastri remarked. “At one point, it seemed like India had run out of strategies. They genuinely didn’t know what had struck them.”
Making comparisons with the legendary Indian opener Sehwag, Shastri envisioned a promising future for Konstas. “He reminds me greatly of Virender Sehwag when he first emerged. He’ll be entertaining when he gets going, and he’s born to captivate. If he plays for a significant time for Australia, he’ll undoubtedly do just that,” Shastri added.
Former Australian batter and coach Justin Langer also praised Konstas, emphasizing the challenge of attacking a bowler like Bumrah. “He’s been given a mandate to go and take on Bumrah, but that’s no simple task—that is incredibly tough. Even in T20 cricket, Bumrah’s economy rate is among the best. So, achieving that is not straightforward,” Langer stated.
Langer disclosed that the Indian team did not anticipate Konstas's audacious playstyle. “I did speak to K.L. Rahul before the match. And I mentioned, ‘Have you seen this kid Sam Konstas?’ He replied, ‘Oh, we only saw him in the Prime Minister’s XI game. He was playing those ramp shots and all that sort of stuff.’ Rahul said, ‘But he won’t do that today.’ And I responded, ‘Yeah, sure he won’t do that today’. And immediately, Sam Konstas was performing just that.”
Konstas’s daring tactics set the stage for Australia’s strong position at the end of the day with a score of 311/6, with Steve Smith (68 not out) and captain Pat Cummins (batting on 8) at the crease.
Shastri recognized that Australia held the advantage but credited India for fighting back into the contest.
“At one point, it appeared that Australia could bat India out of the match. When Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith were together, had that partnership continued, Australia could have ended the day three or four down and in a fantastic position,” Shastri commented.
