Andrew McDonald accused India of trying to intimidate teenager Sam Konstas, and Australia’s coach claimed the ICC had set a benchmark by not punishing tourists.
McDonald revealed on Saturday night that he moved in to check on Konstas’ welfare on Friday night, following his on-field dispute with India captain Jasprit Bumrah in the fifth and decisive Test at the SCG.
Of particular concern to McDonald was the fact that several Indian players ran to celebrate in Konstas’s face after Bumrah dismissed Usman Khawaja on the last ball of the first day.
The incident came after Virat Kohli was fined 20 per cent of his match fee in Melbourne on Boxing Day after making unnecessary contact with the opener between overs.
When asked if he felt the need to talk to Konstas about the on-field exchange with Bumrah, McDonald said he only did so to check on the 19-year-old.
“My conversation with him was just about if he was OK,” McDonald said.
Andrew McDonald (pictured) accused India of trying to intimidate teenager Sam Konstas.
The Indian team surrounded the youngster after claiming the wicket of Usman Khawaja to end the opening day of the Test.
“Clearly the way India celebrated it was quite intimidating. It is clearly within the rules and regulations of the game, as no charges have been filed.
“To have an opposition that invades the non-striker in that way, we have a duty of care to make sure he is okay and in a mental space to go out the next day and perform.”
Asked if he felt India had gone too far in rushing towards Konstas, McDonald suggested a precedent had been set.
“It is clear that it is acceptable because there were no fines or punishments,” he said.
“I’ll leave that to the ICC and Andy Pycroft as the match referee and the referees who are there.
“If they thought it was satisfactory, then I guess that’s the benchmark we’re playing towards.”
Konstas will likely have a key role to play on Sunday, with Australia facing a tough fourth innings chase with India 6-141 in their second innings and leading by 145.
The first day’s incident occurred after Khawaja walked away and made Bumrah wait to bowl as the clock ticked towards the stumps.
Sam Konstas exchanged barbs with Jasprit Bumrah in a heated end to the first day of the fifth Test.
Konstas has clearly troubled India in their first two Tests.
India believed Australia were stagnating, prompting Bumrah to raise his arms before he and non-striker Konstas exchanged words.
The pair then walked towards each other, before the referees intervened.
After Friday’s match, Australian seamer Scott Boland said he found it “pretty funny” that a 19-year-old had “got under the skin of the entire Indian team.”
But Indian seamer Prasidh Krishna insisted on stumps on Saturday that this was not the case, despite being one of the first players to face Konstas.
‘I don’t think so. Not yet. We enjoy the way he plays and we would also like to play aggressively,” Prasidh said.
“If we have someone that comes out and says, ‘I can fight you,’ it’s as a team that we want to tell them, ‘You can’t take us for granted, we’re all here, the 11 of us against you.'” ‘.
“If you can be just as aggressive, that’s fine.”
Early in the Test match, several former Australian players suggested Konstas should change his approach.
“You can understand Usman Khawaja trying to cut time so he doesn’t have to face someone else, but then you have Sam Konstas trying to get involved,” Mark Waugh said.
McDonald said he has checked on Konstas since the incident.
“I don’t know if it’s naïve enthusiasm or it’s just the way he’s always played his game in the juniors and likes to have a lot of energy and get involved in the game, but there really was no need for Sam to get involved there.
“I think he should have bitten his tongue and it really has nothing to do with him and it could have broken Khawaja’s concentration.
Maybe I’ll learn from this Konstas. If he continues to behave like this, he will have a target on his back for his entire career.
“I just think it’s emboldening the opposition. It has excited Jasprit. You don’t want to turn it on.
“I think Sam will reflect on that and think he should have minded his own business and said, ‘I’ve got to let the bat speak for itself.’