Border Gavaskar Trophy: Konstas gets on Bumrah's nerves

Sam Konstas is a character on the field, a fact that currently outweighs discussions about how prolific a batter he is at 19 years old. Konstas' debut in the fourth Border Gavaskar Trophy match was dramatic, as India's former skipper Virat Kohli welcomed the opening batsman with a shove at the MCG. The incident sparked heated arguments off the field about Kohli's antics against a young debutant. However, as the Boxing Day Test unfolded, Konstas emerged as a significant disruptor for India, not just with the bat but also with his chatter around the team. The player constantly chirped at the Indian batters while fielding, even drawing an irked reaction from Yashasvi Jaiswal. The Kangaroo was also seen thumping the MCG crowd to cheer the dismissals of Indian batters. Now, a match old on the scene, Konstas' on-field lively antics have managed to rattle Jasprit Bumrah, a usually nonchalant individual.

Border Gavaskar Trophy: A dramatic start to Sydney Test as Sam Konstas irks Jasprit Bumrah

The opening day of the Sydney Test, the final Border Gavaskar Trophy fixture, lived up to the drama that had been brewing ahead of the match. India entered the game with Jasprit Bumrah as the captain, as Rohit Sharma, struggling with poor form, "opted out" of the match. Sharma's exit paved the way for Shubman Gill to join the team, while KL Rahul returned to the opening spot. Additionally, Prasidh Krishna joined the Playing XI as Akash Deep missed out due to a back issue. However, despite these bold and noisy decisions, India's performance remained disappointing, to say the least.

The Indian batters could muster only 185 runs as the top order staged yet another collapse against the Australian pace attack. The opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul departed for 4 and 10 runs, respectively, leaving India reeling at 17 for 2. Virat Kohli survived a golden duck as the third umpire negated Smith's claims of cleanly catching the ball at slip. However, his luck didn’t last long, as he nicked an outside-the-off-stump delivery to depart with a score of just 17. The opening innings also saw the Australian bowlers delivering several body blows to the Indian batters. Most of the brunt was faced by Rishabh Pant, who emerged as the highest scorer with a gritty 40. Towards the end, Mohammed Siraj took a hit on his jaw after Washington Sundar suffered a blow to the groin.

Despite India's struggles with the bat, the visitors were not a team to tolerate any nuisance from the hosts. This theory proved right when India came out to bowl during the concluding phase of the last session. The interim captain, Bumrah, opened the Indian attack. Khawaja and Konstas seemed to navigate the initial threat seamlessly. However, it all unraveled in the last over of the day when Konstas kept up his chatter while at the non-striker's end. From the scenes at the SCG, Bumrah initially tried to ignore the youngster.

However, Konstas' incessant antics finally drew a reaction from the Indian captain on the penultimate delivery of the over. Bumrah had to redo his run-up as Khawaja, at the striker's end, made him return to his stance. Already irritated by the situation, Konstas' badgering further irked Bumrah, who had a go at the Aussie while returning to his mark-up. Not one to back down, Konstas engaged in a verbal exchange with Bumrah. Khawaja intervened, and the game resumed, only for the opener to be dismissed on the next delivery. Usman Khawaja edged a delivery from the irked bowler to KL Rahul at slip. The following celebration took an interesting turn when the Indian cordon charged toward Konstas to celebrate.

How about that drama to end Day 1! 🔥#JaspritBumrah has dismissed #UsmanKhawaja for the 6th time in this series 🐰#AUSvINDOnStar 👉 5th Test, Day 2 | SAT, 4th JAN, 5 AM | #ToughestRivalry #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/5mEiRv7OBa

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 3, 2025

Immediately after Khawaja's dismissal, Bumrah turned to Konstas at the non-striker's end to give him a prolonged stare-down. Kohli, known for his fiery celebrations, also joined Bumrah as he moved close to the Kangaroo. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill followed suit with some heated words of their own. The day's play concluded with Khawaja's wicket, but the closing moments set a thrilling tone for the Border Gavaskar Trophy fixture on Day 2 at the SCG.