MELBOURNE: It was Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test, Pat Cummins had won the toss, Australia were going to bat and debutant Konstas had reached the middle before everyone else.
Some dismissed that as youthful enthusiasm, a kid trying to calm the nerves. And that is what it felt like for the first over of the match as Jasprit Bumrah beat him four times in six balls. The right-hander struggled to get bat on ball. There were a few knowing glances thrown about as if to say, 'this is Bumrah, he'll school you'.
Then, in the next over from Bumrah, he finally got off the mark with a couple off the second ball. Off the fifth ball, he went for a reverse ramp; a reverse ramp off a bowler who had been pretty much untouchable all series. But Konstas clearly didn't care about appearances. He was brought in to challenge the pacer differently and he was going to do that.
One of the first shots Konstas had pulled off in the nets at the MCG soon after his press conference was a reverse ramp off Marnus Labuschagne chucking with a sidearm. And his reaction right after he'd pulled off the shot? "Bowled Bumrah." So, this wasn't a youngster getting desperate. This was him following his plan to a 'T'.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 27, 2024-Ausgabe von Hindustan Times Uttarakhand.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 27, 2024-Ausgabe von Hindustan Times Uttarakhand.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Nagal Continues To Stay Away From Davis Cup
India's singles No. 1 Sumit Nagal continues to remain absent from national duty as his name was missing from the team's upcoming Davis Cup World Group I play-off tie against Togo, to be held in New Delhi in February.
Back in hockey, Ward hopes to shine in HIL
Sam Ward can easily be spotted on a hockey turf, wading past defenders as a skater would glide on ice, but what really sets the 33-year-old apart is his mask.
Tough beginning for world No. 1 Carlsen; Raunak stuns Firouzja
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen had a torrid start to the World Rapid and Blitz Championship, losing in one round and escaping with draws in two others to end Day 1 of the rapid event at 2.5/5 in New York.
Jayasuriya aims to make SL cricket happening again
Yet, his impact is already evident.
With a bit of luck and lots of faith, you can get back to scoring big runs: Smith
You are one of the best batters on the planet and then, the centuries dry up. That's how fickle form can sometimes be.
Rohit's insipid captaincy lets Australia take control
It was a slow trudge out, with head bowed, for India's captain Rohit Sharma. The imagery just fit. He had just been dismissed for 3, trying to play a tentative pull shot that was a cross between something you play in gully cricket and how a tailender usually responds to a short ball.
Renuka and Deepti star as India women sweep ODI series vs WI
Renuka Thakur and Deepti Sharma delivered a bowling masterclass to trounce West Indies by five wickets and seal a dominant victory in the third and final ODI of the series at the Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara on Friday.
Azerbaijan Airlines 'Thought the Plane Would Fall Apart' Plane Crashed Due to 'External Interference'
The Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan this week suffered physical \"external interference\", the airline and Azerbaijan's transport minister said, on Friday, citing preliminary results of an investigation, adding to speculation it was hit by a Russian air defense system.
Rupee Falls to Record Low as Dollar Bids Spike
The rupee fell to an all-time low on Friday, as maturing non-deliverable forwards and currency futures boosted dollar demand, while the sharp fall led to panic dollar buying by importers.
Israel Burns the Last Functioning Hospital in Gaza
Israeli troops stormed one of the last hospitals operating in northern Gaza, on Friday, igniting fires and forcing many staff and patients outside to strip in winter weather, the territory's health ministry said.
