Fresh off a latest fiery run-in with Jasprit Bumrah late on Day 1, Sam Konstas has been advised to rein-in his audacious on-field approach, by no less a judge than Allan Border himself.
Konstas sparked a tense exchange with the Indian captain in the final over of the opening day, with a fired-up Bumrah taking the wicket of Usman Khawaja off the final ball and immediately staring down the 19-year old.
Speaking on Fox Cricket on the morning of Day 2, former great Mark Waugh expressed his concern that Konstas is painting a ‘target on his back’.
“I don’t know whether it is naive enthusiasm or that’s just the way he has always played his game through the juniors and likes to have high energy and get involved in the game, but really there was no need for Sam to get involved there,” he said of Konstas’ exchange with Bumrrah.
“I think he should have bit his tongue and it’s got nothing to do with him actually and it might have broken the concentration of Khawaja.
“He might learn from that, Konstas. If he keeps behaving like that, he is going to have a target on his back for his whole career.
“I just think he is firing the opposition up. He’s fired up Jasprit. You don’t want to fire him up.
“I think Sam will reflect on that and think he should have minded his own business.”
Following hot on the heels of being bumped by Virat Kohli on Day 1 in Melbourne, which saw Kohli cop a fine and a demerit point, Border urged Konstas to ‘calm it down a bit’.
“There’s a subtle difference between cocky and confidence, and I think he’s just got tipped over to the cocky side,” Border said on Fox Cricket.
“I would be having a word. Just to calm it down a bit.
“I don’t mind confidence, but I think that cocky chirp and chat that goes on – he’s obviously ruffled some feathers in the Indian camp, that’s for sure – but from his own personal point of view, I’d just like to see him concentrate on what he does best, and that’s batting.”
However, mere moments later Konstas unfurled his signature shot, audaciously reverse-ramping Bumrah over the slips cordon for four in similar fashion to in his blazing debut innings at the MCG.
The Konstas ramp shot!
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“This is brilliant cricket, it really is,” former England captain Michael Vaughan said.
“You’ve got this young chap out there in the middle, in front of another full house at the SCG, when the game’s on a knife’s edge and he’s facing arguably the greatest bowler that’s played the game.
“Third [man] has been removed to square leg on the boundary, so I’ll bring back the ramp shot!”
However, India and Bumrah would have the last laugh, Mohammed Siraj finding swing to have Konstas edging to Yashasvi Jaiswal in the gully for 23.
The dismissal was one of three in a dream opening hour for India, with Bumrah removing Marnus Labuschagne for his 32nd wicket of the tour – and Indian record in a series in Australia – and Siraj having Travis Head caught in the cordon just two balls after Konstas, leaving Australia reeling at 4/39.
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