"He should have bit his tongue" - Former Australian batter calls out Sam Konstas for exchange with Jasprit Bumrah in BGT 2024-25 5th Test
Former Australia batter Mark Waugh remarked that Sam Konstas needlessly landed himself in trouble by getting involved in a confrontation with Jasprit Bumrah on Day 1 of the fifth Test in Sydney. The youngster earned the earth of the spearhead, and the rest of the team at Stumps following Usman Khawaja's dismissal off the very last delivery.
Konstas, who already had a memorable altercation with Virat Kohli during his debut in the Boxing Day Test, got involved when Bumrah was unhappy with Khawaja taking his time to face the ball. The opening batter entangled himself in a basic time-wasting tactic while at the non-striker's end.
The Indian skipper was not pleased with Konstas' intervention and had a few words for him. Konstas retaliated right back before the on-field umpire intervened.
Mark Waugh opined that Konstas gave the Indians fuel to work with. Australia would have had the perfect day had they ended the opening day with all wickets in hand, after having bundled out India for 185 earlier.
“You can understand Usman Khawaja trying to wind the clock down so he didn’t have to face another over, but then you have got Sam Konstas trying to get involved. I don’t know whether it is naive enthusiasm or that’s just the way he has always played his game through the juniors and likes to have high energy and get involved in the game, but really there was no need for Sam to get involved there," Waugh said on Fox Sports
“I think he should have bit his tongue and it’s got nothing to do with him actually and it might have broken the concentration of Khawaja. If he keeps behaving like that he is going to have a target on his back for his whole career. I just think he is firing the opposition up. He’s fired up Jasprit. You don’t want to fire him up. I think Sam will reflect on that and think he should have minded his own business. I have just got to let the bat do the talking," Waugh elaborated
Apart from his major altercations, he has also been involved in constant sledging, leaving Yashasvi Jaiswal frustrated during the second innings of the Boxing Day Test.
Konstas was dismissed for 23 runs on Day 2 of the fifth Test
The opening batter was unbeaten on seven runs at the end of Day 1. He began Day 2 with his trademark positive approach in difficult conditions. However, the testing surface and a fired-up Indian bowling attack had the last laugh as Konstas was caught in the slip cordon for 23 runs off Mohammed SIraj's bowling in the 12th over of the innings.
Australia are having a session to forget as Travis Head was also dismissed in the same over as Sam Konstas. They had lost Marnus Labuschagne early in the day, and are currently reeling at 39-4 in the 13th over.