Jasprit Bumrah and Sam Konstas engaged in a war of words© AFP
Former Australia pacer Damien Fleming claimed that the Indian team does not like fiery Sam Konstas following his confrontation with the visiting captain Jasprit Bumrah on the opening day of the ongoing fifth Test at Sydney Cricket Ground. The incident happened on the final over on Friday, with Bumrah on his run-up mark and Konstas’ at the striker’s end. The 19-year-old apparently asked the pacer to wait as Usman Khawaja was not ready to face Bumrah at the striker’s end. However, the two players had verbal volleys before Bumrah dismissed Khawaja on the next ball to give a fiery send-off to Konstas to end the day on high.
The incident not only changed the momentum in India’s favour but also saw Bumrah’s never-seen-before animated side.
Meanwhile, former Australian cricketers Fleming and Simon Katich did not like India’s reaction to Konstas’ actions and found it too harsh for the teen opener.
“They don’t like him (Konstas); they are looking for any little thing, and he looks like he doesn’t care,” Fleming said on SEN Cricket.
“Not too many 19-year-olds would be brave enough to do that to the world’s best bowler,” Katich said.
In his debut Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Konstas was involved in a shoulder bump with Virat Kohli which resulted in a fine for the latter. Konstas was also heard sledging Yashasvi Jaiswal during the Boxing Day Test. The opener continued his notorious behaviour in Sydney and tried to poke Bumrah during Australia’s first innings. However, Bumrah had the last laugh by removing struggling Khawaja before the stumps.
“I’ve never seen Bumrah behave like that. I wouldn’t be stirring Bumrah up today,” Fleming said.
“He’s got a bit about him, and he’s not scared to get into a contest,” Katich added.
Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj picked three wickets each to bundle out Australia for 181 to take a slender four-run first-innings lead.
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