Sam Konstas Statement on Jasprit Bumrah: Nineteen-year-old Sam Constas made a memorable debut in the ‘Boxing Day’ Test and scored a half-century against India, fearlessly facing the balls of the great modern-day fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. On his debut at the MCG, 19-year-old Constas made the impact that the Australian team management wanted from him.
Constas played an inning of 60 runs in 65 balls which also included two huge sixes in Bumrah’s first spell. The young Australian said, “I think maybe 20-30 years ago people would probably ask to ‘defend’ a lot and almost all day long. But I think the new generation has new shots. He said, This is definitely an exciting innings for me. I like to put pressure on the bowlers. Hopefully it will be beneficial in the next innings.”
At the beginning of the year, Constas played the World Cup final of this age group against the Indian Under-19 team in which he was out for zero. But the most special thing was facing Bumrah’s bowling. He said, “Obviously I had thought about it beforehand, especially in terms of speed. But I was trying to be comfortable. Today I hit some shots.”
If we talk about the first day’s play, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah led India’s comeback by taking a late wicket in the final session, while Steve Smith played an unbeaten 68-run innings to help Australia into the fourth Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Helped score 311/6 in 86 overs at stumps on the first day on Thursday.
After debutant Sam Constas hit a boundary in the first session, India were happy in the last session of the day, where they took four wickets, including three wickets, in the space of 23 balls – two of them from Bumrah, who took 3-75. For. But Smith took Australia beyond 300 by scoring unbeaten 68 runs with the help of five fours and one six.
With the second new ball six overs old, India will hope to prevent Australia from reaching 400 on Friday. Marnus Labuschagne started the final session by hitting two fours off Ravindra Jadeja and completed his second half-century of the series in 114 balls.
From the other end, Smith used his legs well to hit three fours off Jadeja and Washington Sundar. But after the first drinks break, Labuschagne came forward on the pitch to hit it over Sundar’s head, but gave out a simple catch at mid-off for 72, ending his 83-run partnership with Smith. It is over.
