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‘Virat Kohli Accidentally Bumped Me…’ Sam Konstas Opens Up On Heated Altercation

Aakash Saini∙ Updated: Dec 26 2024, 2:41 PM

Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas [Source: @7Cricket/x]Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas [Source: @7Cricket/x]

Australian opener Sam Konstas seems to have shrugged off his heated altercation with legendary Indian batter Virat Kohli on Day 1 of the fourth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Making his debut for Australia, 19-year-old Konstas took Jasprit Bumrah head on and dispatched the Indian speedster with audacious ramp shots earlier in the day.

The Australian batting prodigy later found himself at a crossroads with Kohli, with the latter giving him a shoulder nudge and an intense stare in the middle.

Notably, Sam Konstas continues to maintain that Virat Kohli is his favorite cricketer in the world, a claim he backed up during an interview with 7Cricket near the boundary line after his dismissal on the opening day.

Sam Konstas shrugs off feud with Virat Kohli

Tempers flared on Day 1 of the MCG Test when Virat Kohli exchanged a few heated words with Australian debutant Sam Konstas. The youngster, however, demonstrated no first-game jitters as he went on to smack a swift 60 from just 65 balls with six boundaries and two authoritative sixes.

After stumps on Day 1, the 19-year-old shrugged off his altercation with Virat Kohli while speaking with the reporters. The dynamic batting talent claimed that such incidents tend to happen in the heat of the moment, and he simply backed himself to score some runs on his big day. Konstas said:

“I was just doing my gloves and I think he accidentally bumped me, but that’s just cricket, and a thing for me just having that freedom and backing myself and trying to bring the best version of each ball, so lucky enough to get a few runs today.”

Sam Konstas’ debut fifty, coupled with half-centuries from Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and an unbeaten one from Steve Smith navigated the Australian total to 311-6 from 86 overs. The first Australian innings will now resume on Day 2 with Smith (68*) and captain Pat Cummins (8*) batting at the crease.

For India, seasoned seamer Jasprit Bumrah picked up three wickets, including that of dangerman Travis Head for a duck to finish the day with figures of 3-75. Akash Deep and spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar also chipped in with a wicket each.