5th round: Australia 6-0 (Konstas 2, Khawaja 4) The Bumrah-Konstas show continues and the new guy tries again! This ball was even less right for it, fuller but far from the off-stump. The bat is not around. Rohit chuckles, Kohli just shakes his head slightly in disapproval. You can’t bat like that after two career runs, mate, he seems to think. Bumrah ends the over by almost breaking through and hitting a splinter of the bat onto the other player’s foot.

4th round: Australia 6-0 (Konstas 2, Khawaja 4) What do you know – a fake review with Siraj’s encouragement. The ball does bend into the left-hander and smash Khawaja on the pad, but it is near the knee roll and it is on its way to the bowler. It goes on and on, but India is burning early to see the green light. Siraj at least eventually turned to the umpire after first running level with the batsman.

He then swings down one leg side and Khawaja gets a little inside spring on it to refine the leg side for four.

3rd round: Australia 2-0 (Konstas 2, Khawaja 0) Huge ovation for Konstas on his first Test runs as he got a straighter ball from Bumrah which he managed to push off his pads through square leg for two. Then he plays a very chunky forward defense and hits the ball again. Bumrah could be fuller, everything so far is over the stumps. But he enjoys the competition and smiles at Konstas every few balls as if to say, “I can manage to train you, young guy.”

So Konstas plays the scoop! Eleventh ball of his Test career, against the best quick in the world. And missed. The ball goes over his off-bail. Something full…

Bumrah walks back giggling and shaking her head. And the last ball of the over hits him again!

2nd round: Australia 0-0 (Konstas 0, Khawaja 0) Well then, India needs quality from the other end. Some support for Bumrah. In Brisbane it actually started coming before the rain started on the final day. Siraj with the new Kooka and he beats Khawaja with a good shot, with Khawaja playing at the top like he did so many times when this series came out. And fourth ball again, sparring, kangaroo style, bounce and movement. Khawaja survives the end.

1st round: Australia 0-0 (Konstas 0, Khawaja 0) In the close-up camera, there’s a really good lip curl from Konstas waiting for Bumrah. The crowd falls silent in anticipation… and sighs as he leaves the ball. A big, jerky action in which he stretches his arms over the top of the ball and pulls his bat around so that he’s facing back toward the pitch.

Plays and misses next time, a pearler that disappears from the field. Bumrah does heap early. Draws another third ball, but the fourth and fifth are beautiful. Beaten, beaten again, both times Konstas went on the defensive before hitting the edge. Perfect seam position, upright and then crawling away.

And the same thing again on the sixth ball! Just misses the edge. Bumrah gets excited but doesn’t act on his objection. Didn’t bowl an in-ducker in this over, I wonder if he goes for an extended setup.

Konstas beats Khawaja in the middle by about 150 meters. Run out there and look at the field. The young and the old.

Hymns ring out on the floor. We are not full yet, but we are well on the way to being full. Mitch Starc got a haircut. Boland has it too. Marsh and Konstas apparently didn’t do that. The Torres Strait and Aboriginal flags fly on poles between the larger Australian and Indian national flags, held flat like bedsheets ready to be folded. Ready, let’s go.

teams

Weather report from the ground: It’s already hot outside, but it’s currently cloudy. So that’s at least some relief. I expect it to burn out soon, although the weather forecast also has a chance of rain and a cool change later. The whole surprise bag of Melbourne. I’ll tell you what’s certain: Indian support. My word: At least half the crowd outside is wearing blue India shirts. Huge queues on the way there.

Australia wins the toss and bats

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Here is our introductory article about Konstas and his predecessor Ricky Ponting.

The biggest news for Australia is the debut of a young sensation Sam Konstas to open the eyelash. A big challenge for him, especially if he is deployed immediately. However, that would probably give him less time to get nervous. He seems pretty confident, but stepping out in front of 90,000 spectators would have to challenge any youthful courage.

Scott Boland comes back to Australia and replaces the injured Josh Hazlewood. I’m not sure what India will do yet, but they always play their cards close and always seem to make a change somewhere.

preamble

Geoff Lemon