Teenager Sam Konstas really put his name on the map when he scored a quick fifty on debut as Australia raced to 112 for 1 against India at lunch on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test on Thursday. Konstas replaced Nathan McSweeney in the Australian starting XI and showed exactly why the selectors made the bold decision to include him in the team. The batsman started slowly, even struggling against Jasprit Bumrah, before firing some exquisite T20 cricket shots to put the pressure back on the bowler and the Indian team.

The 19-year-old debutant’s 60 from 65 balls included six fours and two sixes, both from Jasprit Bumrah, which marked the Indian pace front.

Konstas collected 16 runs from Bumrah’s fourth over by hitting two fours and a maximum. It was the first six goals conceded by the Indian pacer in Test cricket in almost four years. Most of the boundaries Konstas hit came in the form of ramp shots, both conventional and reverse, with the 19-year-old showing why he is such a highly rated batsman in this part of the world.

WHAT’S UP?!

Konstas beats Bumrah for four…

And the next ball brings Bumrah for SIX!#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/crhuNOMVLc

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 26, 2024

Konstas became the first batsman in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy to hit a six against Bumrah. While most other Australian batters struggled to withstand the pressure of the Indian pacer, Konstas showed a new way of tackling it.

However, Ravindra Jadeja put an end to Konstas’ entertaining innings by trapping him leg before him in the 20th over.

He shared an 89-run stand with veteran Usman Khawaja (38 batting), who got a chance to get into some form. At the break, Khawaja had Marnus Labuschagne (12 batting) in the middle.

It started with few plays and misses in Jasprit Bumrah’s opening over, but once the teenage opener got his first few runs, things changed dramatically.

In total he hit six fours apart from the two maximums. Only Akash Deep (0/15 in 6 overs) bowled a good channel among the pacers as Siraj was guilty of bowling too wide or too short.

With PTI inputs