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Australia opener Sam Konstas made a stunning debut in Test cricket, announcing his arrival with fearless, audacious shots. Few would have expected him to take on India’s best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, but the youngster was undeterred, showcasing his aggressive batting style against one of the world’s best. Steve Smith, the only centurion in the match so far, recently shared his thoughts on watching Konstas’ bold approach from the dugout.

As the 19-year-old racked up runs at a brisk pace, the Australian dressing room was buzzing with excitement. When he brought up his fifty, the entire room stood up in unison to applaud the youngster’s impressive achievement.

Steve Smith Spoke on Sam Konstas Unique shots against Jasprit Bumrah

At the end of the second day’s play, Steve Smith was asked about Sam Konstas’ debut innings during the press conference. Smith lauded the youngster’s confidence, emphasizing that he played without fear.

He also praised Konstas’ audacious shots, including reverse scoops off Jasprit Bumrah, joking that he nearly had a “heart attack” while watching from the dugout.

“I don’t think much fazes the young kid, as so we saw yesterday. He was reverse ramping (Jasprit) Bumrah for a six and I was having a heart attack up in the box. But look, I thought it was all good. No stress,” Smith told the reporters.

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From the very third over of the match, Sam Konstas attempted to play unorthodox shots against India’s bowling spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah. Though he failed to connect on any of his early attempts, Bumrah responded with a smile. However, this didn’t deter Konstas. In Bumrah’s next over, he executed a perfectly timed scoop for four, followed by a reverse scoop for six.

These audacious shots sparked Konstas into an attacking rhythm, and he continued to play some breathtaking strokes, including a massive six over long-on off Bumrah, a clear testament to his confidence and fearless approach.

In between his stunning batting display, Konstas had a brief altercation with Virat Kohli, with the two players colliding shoulders. The ICC later found Kohli guilty of the incident and imposed a fine on the former India captain.

Sam Konstas blasted 60 runs off 65 balls, forming an excellent 89-run opening partnership with Usman Khawaja. Together, they laid a solid foundation for Australia, who went on to post a formidable total of 474. Steve Smith was the top scorer for Australia, playing a brilliant knock of 140 off 197 balls.

Konstas had replaced Nathan McSweeney for this match after the latter’s underwhelming performances in the first three Tests of the series. McSweeney had struggled against Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball, failing to find an answer to the Indian pacer’s threat.