India’s media is raving over “mad” Aussie rookie Sam Konstas, while Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are being branded as surplus to requirements for the next generation of the Indian Test team.

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Meanwhile, another Indian batter who threw away his wicket is also under fire.

Here is what is being written after an MCG thriller that put Australia 2-1 up in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, with just the SCG Test left to play.

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Sam Konstas is already a figure of fascination in India, just as he is at home in Australia, after the most eye-catching debut imaginable in the Boxing Day Test.

He made an audacious 60 by taking on Jasprit Bumrah with ramp shots, revved up the Bay 13 crowd, copped a mocking send-off from Bumrah when dismissed cheaply in the second innings – then returned serve to the pace superstar when he departed amid a fatal Indian collapse on the final day.

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The Times of India carried a piece headlined with a comment from champion teammate Steve Smith: “He’s mad.”

“Sam Konstas, the young Australian batter, quickly became a fan favourite during the Boxing Day Test. His impressive scoops against Jasprit Bumrah and energetic presence on the field caught the attention of many, including Steve Smith. His innovative shots, especially the scoops and laps against Bumrah, not only entertained the crowd but also gave Australia a strategic advantage,” read the piece, before picking up broadcast comments from Smith.

“I mean, he’s mad. I think he really enjoyed himself under the lid there,” Smith said on Seven, referring to Konstas’ time fielding in close.

“He was chirping. I think at one point (Yashasvi) Jaiswal was actually trying to hit the ball at him to shut him up a bit. But look, he’s brought great energy.

“He’s brought a real confidence and it’s nice to see him start so well in his first Test match, and I think he’s got a bright future.”

Jaiswal did strike Konstas at one point, with a well-hit cover drive, though the Aussie teen showed no signs of pain despite copping a firm blow to the abdomen.

Meanwhile, the Press Trust of India sought words from former Australian Test opener Simon Katich on Konstas.

“What we saw from him in the first innings at the MCG was unbelievable courage, given the conditions he faced and the challenge of playing against arguably the best bowler in the series — Jasprit Bumrah,” Katich said, in a piece run by the Deccan Chronicle.
‘Yes, he found a way to counter him with the ramp shot. It was unconventional but we know that the game is being played differently now.

“In the second innings, Konstas saw that Test cricket is not going to be easy. The conditions always change and you have to deal with Bumrah.

“Given he is only 19, no one expects him to be a finisher. He has lots to learn and gain experience, but obviously he’s got potential and talent.”

Regarding India’s batting, there are major concerns in the Indian press about Kohli and Rohit. There is the real prospect that Rohit may have his Test career ended by selectors before the series finale, after poor form with the bat and underwhelming captaincy.

“Since the start of the international home season in September, his tally is a miserable 164 from 15 innings. Simply not acceptable,” wrote R Kaushik for the Hindustan Times.

“If Rohit’s been terrible, Kohli has only been slightly more productive. It might be no consolation but at least with the skipper, there has been no pattern to his dismissals. With Kohli, the waft outside off, no feet, to widish balls has come as regularly as night following day. It’s gone beyond being a pesky problem. It’s a serious malaise with no panacea in sight. No amount of work in the nets is paying off, no adjustment to stance and feet position is fetching results. If this is not a crisis, very few others are.

“Maybe they both believe they have plenty more to offer Indian cricket, but the majority opinion is that it might not be as Test batters. Sydney could be their farewell to the five-day game, no matter what transpires there, so that a new beginning can coincide with the next World Test Championship cycle and a five-Test tour of England in the summer.’

Writing for the Indian Express, Sriram Veera said the end was looming for both greats.

“It’s no longer a case of if but when will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma call it a day? There is the 50-over Champions Trophy in 50 days time; after that? Or will they announce a Test retirement first in Australia at the end of the fifth Test at Sydney or something more drastic …?” Veera wrote.

“An across-the-line ambitious flick, and a wide chaser squeezed in pressure on the Indian team and left two star players staring at the finish line. R Ashwin has already retired and left mid-series; what would his contemporaries do? Kohli, the modern-day great Test, and Rohit, a man who for a couple of years had flirted with Test stardom, but will go down as a Test batsman who never quite fulfilled the promise he had shown in his younger years. The curtain is beginning to slide down from above; will they give themselves one more Test at Sydney with BGT still open and out there for the taking or …?”

The veterans weren’t the only batters under fire, with flamboyant wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant’s poor hole-out dismissal off part-time spinner Travis Head branded a costly – yet not unexpected – blunder in the failed run chase.

“Only two days ago, Pant had scooped his way back to the pavilion, leading Sunil Gavaskar to lose his cool on air. ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid,’ Gavaskar had yelled on air while being on ABC radio commentary,” write S Gomesh for the New Indian Express.

“The last thing Pant would have wanted is to frustrate the legend, whose name is on the Trophy India are trying to retain, once again. That is also the last thing India would have wanted. But to everyone’s dismay, that’s exactly what Pant did.

“Sensing the value of his wicket, the left-hander had displayed plenty of calm until then. He had played over 100 balls, gotten hit in the arm in the process while getting just two boundaries. However, his work was far from over. India, with seven wickets in hand and needing 219 runs from 34 overs, needed Pant and Jaiswal to stay as long as possible. With Virat Kohli and struggling Rohit Sharma’s dismissal earlier, it was about survival for India then. There was plenty of hope with the two in the middle. That turned to hopelessness soon as Pant had pressed the self-destruct button yet again.”

Madhu Jawali in the Deccan Herald added: “Rishabh Pant’s dismissal in the second innings of the Boxing Day Test reignited the debate about his temperament and shot selection in crucial moments. While his immense talent is unquestionable, his tendency to throw away his wicket in high-pressure situations continues to frustrate fans and experts alike.

“Pant’s first-innings mistake was costly, but it was hoped he would show greater maturity in the second innings. For a significant period, he did just that, helping stabilise India alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal after a precarious start. Their partnership was a testament to how Pant can adapt his game when the situation demands it. However, his reckless shot against Travis Head’s part-time spin undid all the hard work, exposing India to a collapse.

“The shot was particularly egregious because it came against a part-time bowler, outside off-stump, and with the team still not entirely out of danger. For a senior player, and someone expected to anchor the innings in challenging circumstances, this kind of lapse in judgment is unacceptable.”