Recent inclusion in the Australian Test squad Sam Konstas does not seem too concerned about the prospect of facing Indian bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
Before the match, the 19-year-old played mind games by claiming that he already has plans for Bumrah and is not too worried about facing him on his Test debut. Sam Konstas has been included in Australia's squad for the final two Tests of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
He replaced Nathan McSweeney in the team, who played the first three Tests but was unable to make a significant contribution. McSweeney found it very difficult to face Bumrah in Test conditions with the new ball and was finally replaced by Konstas.
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Sam Constas plays mind games
During a press conference ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Sam Konstas was asked about facing the current best bowler in the world, Jasprit Bumrah. Konstas has accepted that Bumrah is the best in the world but claims he has plans to confront him.
“I have my plans against Bumrah, but of course, I won't say what they are. I will generally put pressure back on the bowler. Jasprit Bumrah is the best in the world but they are all good bowlers.” Constas stated.
The youngster has been compared to Shane Watson for his attacking style at the highest level. Konstas noted that their styles are similar because they like to approach the match with their aggressive striking style.
“I am very familiar with Shane Watson. I like to play the game and put pressure on the bowlers. Shane Watson is a legend of the game, and I hope to do the same this week,” he added.
“It's just another day for me” – Sam Konstas in his potential debut
Further talking about his potential debut, Sam Konstas described the upcoming Test in Melbourne as a special one given that his parents are coming to watch his potential debut. He backs himself to do well on this big occasion.
“It's just another day for me,” the 19-year-old said. “It's a bit special because my parents are coming. But it's very simple, I'll support myself.”
Konstas had previously claimed that he does not want to overthink Jasprit Bumrah and does not watch his videos often. The young man aims to keep things simple and back up his methods to counter the opposition.
Sam Konstas's numbers are top notch
Sam Constas does not have a lot of experience in first-class cricket but has already shown his abilities in the limited matches he has played so far. He has scored 718 runs in 11 first-class matches so far at an average of 42.23.
He recently scored a quick hundred for the Prime Minister's side against India in a pink-ball warm-up match in Canberra. He scored these runs against all the Indian bowlers except Jasprit Bumrah, who did not feature in that match.