Australian batting dynamo Sam Konstas has revealed the exchange he had with Indian cricket great Virat Kohli following their fiery encounter during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG – and why he regrets his showdown with paceman Jasprit Bumrah.
Konstas, 19, got under the skin of the tourists after peeling off an impressive half century on debut – where the teenager showed he was in no mood to be intimidated.
Despite Kohli shoulder-charging the youngster, Konstas told the cricket legend he remains his hero.
Kohli then turned on the charm, wishing the opener well on the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka if selected.
‘I had a little chat after the game telling him that I idolise him, and it’s obviously a huge honour playing against him,’ Konstas told News Corp.
‘He just had that presence about him…[and] he was very down to earth. A lovely person, just wishing me all the best. I’ve idolised him from a young age and he’s a legend of the game.’
Sam Konstas was in the headlines almost straight away during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG when he was shoulder-charged by Virat Kohli (pictured)
Despite the heated clash, Konstas told the cricket legend he remains his hero
Konstas has expressed regret surrounding his showdown with paceman Jasprit Bumrah (pictured) during the Sydney Test
Konstas didn’t get a chance to clear the air with Bumrah, who was visibly frustrated at the brashness of the fearless young gun at the MCG.
The pair then traded barbs during the Sydney Test, with umpires needing to get between them as tensions threatened to reach boiling point.
It followed a dramatic end to play on day one, when Bumrah and Konstas clashed after Usman Khawaja pulled away from a ball, with India’s captain accusing him of delaying play to ensure another over wouldn’t be bowled.
Konstas inserted himself into the saga by chatting back at Bumrah.
With tensions high, Khawaja was then caught at second slip on the final ball of the day and India’s talismanic seamer and several teammates ran straight at Konstas to celebrate in his face.
And if Konstas had his time again, he would act differently.
‘I love being in the contest,’ he said. ‘I [also] want to be a humble person.
‘It’s probably a good learning [curve] for me. I was trying to waste a little bit of time so they didn’t get another over. But he [Bumrah] had the last laugh, he took 32 wickets in the series.
‘If that happened again, maybe I wouldn’t have said anything.’
