Young Australia batter Sam Konstas is excited about the prospect of facing star India speedster Jasprit Bumrah in the fourth Test against India in Melbourne beginning from December 26. Notably, Sam Konstas has received his maiden call up to the Australian Test team replacing Nathan McSweeney.
Coming into the Test on the back of three fifty plus scores in his last four innings, Konstas is high on confidence. However, he will be facing the menacing India speedster Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball. Speaking about the massive challenge, Sam Konstas said that he wouldn’t be watching too much of the Indian pace ace and expressed his excitement about facing him.
Sam Konstas brilliant run of form earns him a call to the Australian National Team
Sam Konstas has been in magnificent form in the Sheffield Shield being the second-highest run scorer for New South Wales (NSW) with 471 runs from eight innings at an average of 58.87 with two hundreds and one fifty.
Earlier, he also scored a magnificent hundred for Prime Minister’s XI against India during the pink-ball warm up fixture. Sam Konstas scored a sensational 107 (97) with the help of 14 fours and a six as he guided his team to a score of 240. He also scored a match-winning unbeaten 73 in the second unofficial Test against India A.
Sam Konstas represents New South Wales as a right-handed opener. He was born in Sydney and is an Australian of Greek descent. He made his Big Bash League debut this month for Sydney Thunder. Sam Konstas didn’t have a memorable outing in his first game after earning his maiden call up as he got dismissed for a three-ball duck. He got dismissed for a three-ball duck in his second Big Bash League match for Sydney Thunder against Sydney Sixers.
Having replaced Nathan McSweeney for the last two Tests vs India, Sam Konstas is set to make his international debut against world-class bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. The 19-year-old is expected to open the innings with Usman Khawaja in Melbourne. Both sides played out a draw in Brisbane, courtesy of rain, and the series is currently level at 1-1. The visitors began the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a win in Perth, to take a 1-0 lead. Then the hosts bounced back in Adelaide, which was also a pink-ball affair, to level the series.
New Australian opener Sam Konstas is excited to face challenge in Jasprit Bumrah during upcoming 4th Test at MCG
Young Australia batter Sam Konstas expressed his excitement on the prospect of facing young India speedster Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming fourth Test against India in Melbourne. Konstas is brimming with confidence but admitted he won’t overburden himself with footage of the Indian pacer.
Though he had an excellent outing against India in the pink-ball practice match for the Prime Ministers’ XI in Canberra before the Adelaide Test, he did not get to face Bumrah who sat that fixture out. The MCG game will be his first face-off against a bowler who is currently averaging 10.90 this series and has 21 wickets in three Tests – seven more than the second bowler on the list. 10 of those 21 wickets have been of the designated top-three of Australia – McSweeney, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne.
“I won’t watch too much [of Bumrah],” Konstas said.
“I have already seen him a lot. But I am excited to challenge myself and face him. Usually, our analysts do a little feedback on each bowler. I might read that, maybe.”
Sam Konstas was in the running alongside McSweeney before the start of the series as he also got runs for Australia A in the lead-up to the senior team’s series. McSweeney was preferred then but having not got a big score in three Tests, chief selector rang in the change in the hope of throwing something different at India, with the series on an even keel at 1-1.
Sam Konstas will carry with him the confidence of getting runs recently in the Sheffield Shield, and hoped to look at the MCG fixture as ‘just another game’.
“I’m super confident,” he said. “Just backing my skills, I have done all the hard work. Just another game, I guess, and trying to keep it simple. As a kid you have always dreamt of the moment, and it is very rare, getting your baggy green. So it’s a huge honor if I do get in.”
While the youngster is keeping his emotions in check, the Konstas household indulged a little over family dinner after the announcement of his inclusion to the squad was made.
“It was all a bit unexpected, but very privileged to get the opportunity,” Konstas said.
“I just had dinner with the family [to celebrate], pretty chilled. It was emotional, mum was crying … Everything has happened so fast,” Konstas said.
“Mum and dad and my brothers, all their sacrifices, taking me to training, throwing me balls, experiencing the journey through highs and lows. Just to give something back to them was very special. I can’t wait to have them in Melbourne for support,” he added.
With his calm confidence and determination, Sam Konstas is ready to face Bumrah and embrace the opportunity to make his mark on one of cricket’s biggest stages when India and Australia meet one another on December 26.