- Former Indian captain made headlines with a shoulder barge
- He was trying to intimidate a 19-year-old on his Test debut at the MCG.
Sam Konstas had a fierce clash with Virat Kohli when the Indian star shouldered him in the first session of the Boxing Day Test, but before that, the Australian wonderkid was one of the former captain’s biggest fans.
In a clip of the 19-year-old taken before being called up to the Australian team he is asked to pick three people he would love to receive a text from.
Konstas, who is wearing a New South Wales uniform in the video, replies: “Shane Watson will be one, hopefully dad and maybe Virat Kohli.”
Former Test star Watson is Konstas’s long-time mentor, so the fact that the youngster mentioned Kohli alongside him and his father is telling.
And when the batsman was asked to name the most famous person he had met in a previous interview ahead of his call-up for his country, he replied: “Probably Virat Kohli in Canberra”, referring to his first action against India in the meeting. of the Prime Minister. XI match earlier this summer, when he scored a lightning century.
All the headlines of Konstas’s stellar debut innings have revolved around the ugly clash and his incredible thrashing of the world’s best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, with a series of risky ramp shots.
Commentator Stephen Quartermain joined cricket fans to capture Konstas’ Elvis-style snarl as he waited for the ball during his incredible debut at the MCG.
However, some cricket fans, including commentator Stephen Quartermain, noticed something else during Konstas’ time at the crease: his habit of talking to himself and twisting his upper lip into a sneer reminiscent of Elvis Presley. .
Australia’s brightest new star spoke about both when interviewed on Channel Seven just before kick-off on Friday.
“You have this little squint in your right eye when you’re looking up and you’re talking to yourself while the player is about to run in. Tell us, what’s causing the squint and what are you telling yourself here?” asked former player turned commentator Trent Copeland.
Konstas laughed before answering: “I’m not really sure what the squint is due to, but I’m trying to focus my right eye on the bowler, and then what I say is, ‘Where’s the ball?’ Where is the ball?”
“It’s just so I can react to the ball and not premeditate (my shot), but obviously, certain shots I’m premeditating.
“For me, I’m just trying to be in that zone and do it on every ball.”
In the impressive display at the MCG, Konstas smashed 60 off just 65 balls, with six boundaries and two sixes before falling LBW to Ravindra Jadeja.
That saw him take 18 off Bumrah in the most expensive over of the star’s career, and he also hit the world’s number one bowler for his first six off more than 4,000 deliveries.
Virat Kohli (pictured) has once again become the villain of tragic events in Australian cricket, but Konstas has a very different opinion of the divisive star.
Pictured: Konstas (centre) is flanked by teammates Steve Smith (left) and Alex Carey before the start of the game on Thursday.
Konstas went from 6,000 followers on Instagram to over 105,000 overnight as fans went wild over his daring jab.
Australian cricket tragics and pundits, including West Indies great Ian Bishop, praised the innings as one of the best debuts they had ever seen, with one fan even calling for his image to be added to the nation’s currency.
Konstas, who replaced dropped opener Nathan McSweeney, survived a brutal first over from Bumrah, when he bowled and missed four times, to rock India.
By the ninth over, India had once again put the fielders out of bounds in a bid to tame the attacking attitude of the New South Wales whiz kid.
Konstas, the country’s 468th cricketer, received his baggy green cap from historic former Australia captain Mark Taylor.
He is the fourth-youngest Australian to play at Test level.
Konstas’ innings evoked memories of former star opener David Warner’s international debut, at the MCG against South Africa in 2009.
But while Warner did it in a Twenty20, Konstas made his mark on the biggest day of the Australian cricket calendar when the Border-Gavaskar series is still delicately poised at 1-1.