Sam Konstas was involved in a heated incident with India stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah.© AFP
Australia batter Sam Konstas was involved in a heated incident with India stand-in captain and pacer Jasprit Bumrah on Day 1 of the 5th Test in Sydney on Friday. For the unversed, Bumrah was not happy with Usman Khawaja taking extra time to take his guard. However, Konstas decided to confront Bumrah. The incident only riled Bumrah up as he dismissed Khawaja off the final ball of the day’s play, before clashing with Konstas, who was at the non-striker’s end. Former Australia batter Mark Waugh has slammed Konstas for playing his part in riling up Bumrah, urging the youngster to mind his business.
“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 told Fox Sports.
Waugh also suggested that Konstas’ involvement resulted in Khawaja’s dismissal as the veteran might have lost his concentration. He also warned the youngster against throwing such antics in the future, and let his bat do the talking instead.
“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. He might learn from that Konstas. If he keeps behaving like that he is going to have a target on his back for his whole career,” he added.
“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 and say, I have just got to let the bat do the talking,” Waugh further explained.
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