Teen Konstas takes bowlers to cleaners on his Test debut

JASPRIT Bumrah had just welcomed Sam Konstas to Test cricket.

- GOMESH S

The youngster, all of 19, walked in as the youngest ever Test opener to have played for Australia. Through the national anthem in front of a massive Boxing Day crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, all the cameras had been on the teenager. Understandably, he was having a ball. Even as the teams walked on to the field, Konstas was the first to get in, take a look at the centre pitch, soaking it all in.

And then, he faced Bumrah. Off the first six balls of his international career, Konstas was beaten on the outside edge four times and left the other two alone. With the dominating Indian diaspora cheering on, Bumrah was showing the teen debutant what it is like at the highest level. At least for the first six balls. From the time he scored twin centuries for New South Wales two months ago, Konstas and his fearless stroke-play had been a topic of discussion. The hype had been such that even Ricky Ponting was on the bandwagon. And Ponting wasn't the only one. Everywhere you go in Australia, all they have to talk about is the confidence with which Konstas operates. The youngster himself spoke about how it would be just another day when asked about the debut a couple of days earlier. Till the time he took guard, it all continued like a breath of fresh air. And then it seemed like Bumrah had brought him back to reality.