New Delhi: Former India coach Ravi Shastri Heaps of praise on Australian teenagers on Thursday constas himself For his fearless performance against India pacers Jasprit Bumrah opening day boxing day test in the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
On his Test debut, Konstas performed well, scoring 60 runs from 65 deliveries to get Australia off to a good start. His aggressive hitting performance included six four-run hits and two home runs. A promising innings ended in the 20th over when he fell to left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja.
Shastri praised Konstas, saying the young batsman had torn the MCC coaching manual to shreds.
“I don’t think anyone has treated or treated Bumrah like that in any format of the game, let alone red-ball cricket. For him to carry that majesty and try some outrageous shots – it’s It’s something else.
Konstas showed off his exceptional batting prowess early in the first session by launching a fierce attack on Bumrah, India’s premier fast bowler. The aggressive batsman dominated the 11th over, taking 18 runs off Bumrah’s bowling, in what became the pacer’s costliest match in his Test career so far.
Constas’ attack included two boundaries, a powerful six and two well-run twos, surpassing Bumrah’s previous record of 16 conceded against Australia at the same venue in 2020.
“At one point, it felt like the Indian team were running out of ideas. They actually didn’t know what hit them. Initially, he missed his first two shots and there was a smile on the Indian players’ faces. They thought, ‘If he takes a risk , we will catch him soon, but once that happens, all smiles disappear,” Shastri added.
Australia ended the first day with a score of 311 for six wickets after electing to bat first, with their first four batsmen hitting impressive half-centuries.
