Indian stars Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah have come under fire for their spat with Australian youngster Sam Konstas. The 19-year-old made his debut for Australia during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG and became an instant hit with Australian fans.
He grabbed the attention of the cricketing world not only with his daring batting but also with his in-your-face attitude. Sam Konstas became the youngest player ever to open the Test innings for Australia and announced his arrival on the game’s biggest stage with a fiery fifty.
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He scored 60 runs off just 65 balls in his first Test outing. The right-handed batsman also stunned the world against Jasprit Bumrah, arguably the best fast bowler in the world. He hit the top of the Indian pace for a number of boundaries while also using daring ramp shots against him.
Later, the young man also managed to get under the skin of the Indian players and was involved in numerous fights. During the MCG Test, Virat Kohli shouldered him before the latter was sanctioned by the ICC. He was also involved in several altercations with Jasprit Bumrah during the Melbourne Test as well as the Sydney Test.
During the Test in Sydney, Bumrah was preparing to bowl when Sam Konstas said something to him while standing on the non-striker’s side. It didn’t go down well with Bumrah who said something to the youngster before dismissing his opening partner Usman Khawaja on the very next ball. The Indian star then celebrated the wicket by turning towards Sam Konstas and staring at him.
Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli face heat over Sam Konstas row:
Sam Konstas’ spats with Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah have been the headlines for the past few weeks. And now, New South Wales coach Greg Shipperd has expressed his views. Shipperd made it clear that he was not at all impressed with the behavior of Kohli and Bumrah as he attacked the senior cricketers for their overreaction.
“I don’t know if he’s doing it. I think it took him by surprise,” Shipperd said when asked about the row with Bumrah as quoted by News.com.au. “I think it was a shameful act and it should have been punished much more severely than it was.”
“He or that circumstance got under Jasprit’s skin and the team’s response was super aggressive towards him. I think he will get through it and look forward to his next opportunity in Sri Lanka,” he added.
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Earlier, India head coach Gautam Gambhir had slammed Sam Konstas, saying that the Australian opener had no right to get into any sort of argument with Bumrah. Gambhir also called Australia ‘soft’ for their reaction to the incident.
Meanwhile, the series ended 3-1 in favor of Australia. Australia brought back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years and also booked their place in the WTC final for the second time in a row.
