Pictures of Virat Kohli-Sam Konstas and Tanzim Hasan-Mohammad Nawaz face-offs.© X (formerly Twitter)

The shoulder-barging incident between India star Virat Kohli and Australia’s teenage opener Sam Konstas was one of the most controversial moments of the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. It was a moment that divided opinion between Indian and Australian fans, experts and media, and even led to Kohli being labelled a “clown” by an Australian newspaper. Looking back at the incident, former Australia cricketer Brad Haddin has put the blame entirely on Kohli, saying that Kohli had turned into a frustrated figure, not just because of Konstas’ aggressive brand of cricket, but also because of his own lean patch.

“He (Sam Konstas) got under Kohli’s skin. Kohli was frustrated… Kohli was frustrated with his game,” said Haddin, speaking on the Willow Talk podcast.

“He came out to bat, everyone in every commentary box said, ‘Australia are going to bowl on fourth or fifth stump, they will play on Kohli’s patience’, and he got out the same way every time,” Haddin added.

The incident, which happened on Day 1 of the fourth Test in Melbourne, took place after Konstas had made a fiery start with the bat on Test debut, even taking Jasprit Bumrah for 14 runs in an over, including a reverse-scoop six.

Kohli ultimately paid the price for the incident, seeing 20 per cent of his match fees deducted and an ICC demerit point added to his name. However, Haddin explains that Virat Kohli was also frustrated because of his own game.

“He (Kohli) fell for the same plan all the time. On this occasion, the young kid (Konstas) got under his skin. Kohli reacted in a way, if you were sitting in the change room, you would have said, ‘we’ve got ’em here, we’ve broken the back of India’,” Haddin said.

Kohli scored just 190 runs in nine innings in the series, and was dismissed by edging a ball outside the off-stump each time.

Former Australia captain and the ICC Hall of Famer, Ricky Ponting doesn’t think the young prodigy can survive as an opening batter in the Test format if he continues to bat like he did at MCG. The world wasn’t ready to witness Konstas going all guns blazing on his debut when he stepped in front of a sold-out crowd in the Boxing Day Test. With a ramp shot for a towering six over the head of Rishabh Pant, Konstas tonked the first maximum off the world’s current best pacer, Jasprit Bumrah.

He continued to adopt the policy of firing all cylinders on his way to a swift 60(65) before being pinned in front of the stumps by Ravindra Jadeja.

The quick-fire approach was a hit-and-miss for Konstas, considering his next set of performances. In the second innings, Bumrah pitched up a perfect inswinger to breach the gap between pad and bat to clean up Konstas.

On an unpredictable Sydney Test strip, it was Mohammed Siraj, who set him up in the first innings and Prasidh Krishan in the second.

“I don’t think he can survive as a Test opening batsman playing like that all the time. So he will learn a lot from the first couple of games that he played as a batsman, but just as an international sportsman as well, I think he’ll learn a lot,” Ponting said on the ICC Review.

“It’s a big stage and he really enjoyed it at the MCG. But I’ve seen this happen a lot with young players. They come in, they get overawed by everything a little bit, and it takes them a few games or a few series just to actually work out who they are and who they need to be successful international players,” he added.

Despite his underwhelming show after the MCG run-fest, Konstas did enough to impress the Australian selectors and confirm his ticket to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test tour beginning at the end of this month.

Australia Squad: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.

Indian cricket team star batter Virat Kohli© AFP

Jasprit Bumrah and Sam Konstas altercation in Sydney© AFP

Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar gave his opinion on the bumping incident between Australia youngster Sam Konstas and India stalwart Virat Kohli saying it was “simply not cricket.” In front of a sold-out crowd on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, a single incident dominated the headlines for days. The buildup for the entire incident started when Konstas took on arguably the world’s best pacer in the present scenario, Jasprit Bumrah. The 19-year-old took the world by surprise by perfectly executing a ramp shot off Bumrah over the head of wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant to pick up a six.

The Indian team was reduced to silence at that moment as the Australian crowd roared and celebrated in jubilation.

Bumrah was stunned, and so was the Indian team. After that, Konstas kept charging at him to effortlessly pick up boundaries.

As Konstas left no stone unturned to thrash the bowlers, a single incident added another layer of spice and heat at the MCG. At the end of the 10th over, Kohli bumped the debutant’s shoulder, which led to an exchange between them.

Usman Khawaja, who was batting at the other end, was seen trying to pacify the two players. While fans and former cricketers gave their take on the entire incident, Gavaskar felt Kohli’s reaction was that it was “simply not cricket.”

“That said, what Kohli did with the shoulder bump is simply not cricket. Indians are not shy to retaliate if provoked, but here the provocation was simply not there. The one thing that players learn with experience is that it’s futile to try and get back at the crowds, who have come to have a good time, so booing players is never personal but just a way to entertain themselves,” Gavaskar wrote in his column in The Sydney Morning Herald.

Throughout the series, Kohli had a couple of exchanges with the Australian fans. The home crowd didn’t hesitate to ‘boo’ the Indian star and Kohli didn’t hesitate to react.

In the first session of the final BGT Test, Virat, riled up by the Australian crowd decided to take a dig at the fans present at the SCG.

He was seen imitating scenes from the sandpaper scandal that occurred during Australia’s tour of South Africa in 2018. Turning to the crowd, Virat showed his empty pockets, subtly hinting at the infamous incident.

“To react to that doesn’t do the player any good, and in fact, does more harm. Kohli must understand that whatever he does to react to the crowd actually puts more pressure on his teammates, who also then become targets of the spectators,” Gavaskar added.

Apart from his on-field antics, Kohli struggled to maintain his discipline since scoring an unbeaten Test century in Perth. Throughout the series, venues changed, but the manner of his dismissal stayed the same.

The outside off-stump deliveries tempted Kohli again and again to go for a drive. Kohli’s resistance eventually gave away, as he lost his wicket by edging towards the slip or to the wicketkeeper.

Australian pacers exploited Kohli’s weakness and limited his run-tally to just 190 runs at an average of 23.75 in eight innings as India failed to defend BGT with a 3-1 series defeat.

“With his continued failures to avoid nibbling at the deliveries around the off-stump, he failed to make the contribution that could have boosted the total,” Gavaskar said about Kohli’s form.

The ‘Pink Test’ at Sydney, which spreads awareness about cancer, holds special significance for Sam Konstas, for the young Australian batting sensation lost his close family members to the dreaded disease. The Sydney match has been celebrated as the ‘Pink Test’ since 2009, in honour of Glenn McGrath’s late wife Jane, who passed away after a battle with breast cancer in 2008, with the McGrath foundation raising millions of dollars for the cause. During an interview on Triple M cricket, Konstas revealed how his cousin died of leukemia and his grandpa of bowel cancer, and expressed hope the match at SCG would continue to raise awareness about the disease.

Konstas was involved in a heated exchange with India captain Jasprit Bumrah during the fifth Test here but the 19-year-old said he remains unfazed by the incident.

“Virat Kohli accidentally bumped into me, that’s cricket and can happen with tension,” said the teenager.

“I think the emotions got to both of us. I didn’t quite realise, I was doing my gloves, then a little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket,” he added.

The drama unfolded when Konstas confronted Bumrah, who was getting frustrated with Usman Khawaja taking extra time to take guard. The confrontation forced the umpires to intervene, and Bumrah later dismissed Khawaja off the final ball of the day and gave Konstas a send-off.

“Oh, I didn’t get too fazed. Unfortunately, Uzi got out. He was trying to buy some time a little bit. It was probably my fault, but it happens. It’s cricket,” Konstas said.

“Credit to Bumrah. He got the wicket, but obviously great performance from the team.” When asked about his fiery approach to his opponents, Konstas said: “Don’t know. Whatever’s on the field, I just try to do my best and, yeah, I guess I got a few nerves on the other team.”

Don’t think it’s kicked in yet: Konstas on dream debut

Konstas had a dream debut during the Boxing Day Test at MCG where he took on Bumrah en route to an audacious 60 off 65 balls in front of a near sell-out crowd. The home team won that game by 184 runs before beating India by six wickets at SCG to claim the five-match series 3-1, ending a wait of 10 years.

“Yeah, it’s been quite special. Obviously Mark Taylor presenting my bag and to top it off with the win today was, yeah, outstanding from the team,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s kicked in yet, but hopefully in the next few days we’ll soak up, reflect on it, but it’s been awesome.

“The team’s been outstanding to me and just letting me play my natural game. Pat Cummins is a great leader and hopefully we can keep going on.” The series defeat also dashed India’s hopes of securing a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, with Australia setting up a summit showdown with South Africa.

Asked if he was feeling nervous before his debut, Konstas said, “No, I was very calm. I was talking to my parents and all my teammates.

“But obviously, it was a packed stadium and Uzi (Khawaja) said my journal was pumped when I was batting, but I didn’t feel that, but obviously it was a good debut and glad to get two wins.” After impressing against India, Konstas is expected to be included in the squad for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour.

When asked if the fans would see the same Konstas, he said, “Yeah, I’m not too sure if I’m selected yet. I think we’ll find out in the next few days, but obviously adapting to different conditions, maybe we’ll find a new Sam, but I think so, but time will tell.”

Former Australia fast-bowler Mitchell Johnson believes that India ‘two vs 11′ mindset to intimidate the Australian rookie players like Sam Konstas and Beau Webster during the recent Sydney Test didn’t pay off. In the match, India suffered a six-wicket defeat at Sydney, as Australia won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 after a decade. “The Indian side appeared to embrace the mindset that it was “two against 11” out in the middle, aiming to make the Aussie batters feel isolated and under pressure. The focus was on not just testing the technical skills of their opponents but also challenging their mental toughness.

“In Test cricket, it’s crucial to create that environment, one where the batters are distracted from their primary objective. This psychological edge can often prove to be just as important as any physical skill in the game. Trying to intimidate the Aussie rookies didn’t really pay off with both Konstas and Beau Webster proving their worth,” wrote Johnson in his column for The Nightly on Monday.

At the same time, Johnson reckoned Konstas taking on Jasprit Bumrah in a verbal volley on day one was not a praiseworthy act. “I appreciate what Konstas was trying to do by supporting his teammate, but it was simply the wrong time for that kind of engagement. At that late stage of the day, there could only be one winner.

“I wonder if Khawaja had a chat with Konstas or if any of the other senior players offered him some advice after the day’s play on how to navigate such situations. This highlights a crucial aspect of introducing new players to the team: they need the guidance of experienced teammates to understand how to handle various scenarios within the game’s dynamics.”

He signed off by saying Webster, who had a debut to remember with scores of 57 and 39 not out, apart from taking a wicket and grabbing two sharp catches, can be a regular fixture in the Australian Test team for the foreseeable future.

“No one deserved to hit the winning runs for Australia on Sunday more than Webster. His dream debut in the baggy green was more than a decade in the making and his strong performance not just with bat and ball but also in the field has put not just all-rounder Cameron Green on notice but he top six batters as well.

“Webster’s debut at the SCG was a moment filled with joy and personal significance for him, evident in the big smile he wore. It wasn’t just the cherished cap he received but also the way he approached the game that stood out.

“His demeanour during media interactions suggested he felt comfortable in his role and then the way he played, treating it as another day at the office rather than a pressure-filled debut. At 31, Webster brings a wealth of experience, combining youthful energy with the wisdom of seasoned play.”

“His confident yet relaxed attitude could be a significant asset for the team, suggesting he’s not just a player but also a potential motivator in the dressing room. It’s clear that Webster fits well into the team dynamic and could play a vital role moving forward.”

Australia captain Pat Cummins has come to the defence of Sam Konstas following recent scrutiny of his on-field conduct during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. In the post-match press conference, Cummins discussed the role of the ICC and match officials in setting the rules and the standard for conduct, making it clear that the team respected those decisions, even if they did not always agree with them. “I think, first of all, obviously ICC and Andy Pycroft set the rules and set the punishments. You know, we saw that in Melbourne with Virat [Kohli], 20 per cent. That’s what they thought. So, it doesn’t really matter what we think. They set the rules. So, obviously, that’s the standard that they’re happy with,” Cummins said.

Turning to the case of Konstas, Cummins expressed his admiration for the young player’s approach.

“I think, in regards to Sam, you know, I think he’s, I’ve been really impressed with how he’s gone about it. I think people mistake a bit of confidence with bullying or abuse. You know, he’s, you’re allowed to walk around with your shoulders puffed back and play a few cricket shots. I don’t think that’s illegal, but some people really take offence to that and want to kind of put him back in his place,” he added.

Cummins emphasized that the team encourages its players to be true to themselves on the field.

“For us it’s always just, and we say the same to all our players, is just bring yourself every day. You know, be yourself. Go about it how you think represents yourself the best and how you want to play,” Cummins said.

“Yeah, I think he’s been really good this series. He’s stood up for himself when he’s needed to,” he added.

Konstas has earned praise for his resilience and maturity, standing his ground amidst challenges while adhering to the team’s ethos of authenticity.

Coming to the SCG Test, India won the toss and elected to bat first. India was off to a disappointing start yet again as the top order threw away their wickets, especially Virat Kohli (17) who continued his struggles with outside off-stump deliveries.

However, the fight by Pant (40 in 98 balls, with three fours and a six), Ravindra Jadeja (26 in 95 balls, with three fours) and skipper Jasprit Bumrah (22 in 17 balls, with three fours and a six) pushed India to 185/10 in 72.2 overs.

Boland (4/31) was the pick of the bowlers for the Aussies and once again a thorn in the eyes of Indian batters. Mitchell Starc took 3/49 while Pat Cummins got 2/37.

In their first innings, Australia lost wickets at regular intervals even when Jasprit Bumrah (2/33) walked off the field due to an injury scare. Under the stand-in skipper Virat, India continued to dominate the Aussies, skittling them out for just 181 runs and taking a four-run lead. Debutant Beau Webster (57 in 105 balls, with five fours) had a fine showing with the bat and Steve Smith (33 in 57 balls, with four boundaries and a six) showed some attacking intent.

Prasidh Krishna (3/42) and Mohammed Siraj (3/51) were the top bowlers for India.

With a lead of four runs, India was off to a promising start thanks to Yashasvi Jaiswal (22 in 35 balls, with four boundaries) and KL Rahul (13) as they put on a 45-run stand. But Boland (6/45) troubled the Indian batting once again. Pant did put up a counter-attack with 61 in 33 balls (six fours and four sixes), but India was bundled out for 157 runs, setting up 162 for the Aussies to win. Bumrah could not bowl in the final innings.

Australia was in trouble for a while during chase of 162 runs at 58/3, but knocks from Usman Khawaja (41 in 45 balls, with four boundaries), Travis Head (34* in 38 balls, with four boundaries) and Webster (39* in 34 balls, with six fours) guided the team to a six-wicket win, despite fight put up by Prasidh Krishna (3/65).

Boland was the ‘Player of the Match’ for his 10-wicket haul while Bumrah walked away with the ‘Player of the Series’ award with 32 wickets.

Sam Konstas (L) and Jasprit Bumrah© AFP