Sam Konstas has taken to Test cricket like fish to water and looks like someone who is here to stay. The 19-year-old took on India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah straightaway on day 1 of the MCG Test and made a bold statement while trying to assert his dominance.
After playing a maiden over first up, Konstas decided to break the shackles and employed reverse scoops against Bumrah in the seventh over. Konstas shuffled outside off and scooped the first delivery of the seventh over from Bumrah over the wicketkeeper's head for a boundary.
Before Bumrah could adjust his length, Konstas attacked him again and sent the second delivery over the slip cordon for the first six of the match. It was a fuller delivery outside off and Konstas used the reverse scoop to send it flying for a six. It was the first time Bumrah got hit for a six in Test cricket after a gap of 4483 balls.
The Aussie waited for two more deliveries and then connected another reverse scoop on the penultimate delivery of the over for a boundary. Konstas didn't stop there and connected the fourth delivery of the 11th over for a six to become only the second player in Test cricket to hit Bumrah for two sixes in an innings. Jos Buttler was the first one to do so.
Meanwhile, Konstas was presented with his debut cap by former Australia captain Mark Taylor before the start of play on day 1 and became the fourth youngest to represent the country in the red-ball format at 19 years and 85 days of age.
Notably, Ian Craig was the youngest to make Test debut for Australia. He was 17 years and 239 days old when he made his Test debut against South Africa in Melbourne in 1953. Pat Cummins was the second youngest (18 years and 193 days) and Tom Garrett was the third youngest (18 years and 232 days) for Australia.
Australia Playing XI: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
India Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
