Clashes between Australia’s 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas and Indian players have been some of the highlights of the final two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. The final moments of Day 1 saw Konstas and Bumrah in a war of words, which fired up the Indian seamer. Bumrah ended up dismissing Konstas’ opening partner Usman Khawaja at the fag end of Day 1, prompting a tweet from former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra taunting Konstas, and inviting him on a tour to India.
“Konstas ka ek Test tour of India karva do…Kaun Tha Stas ho jayega (Let Konstas tour India once, he will become a ‘has been’,” posted Chopra on X.
Konstas ka ek Test tour of India karva do…Kaun Tha Stas ho jayega.
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 3, 2025
Despite making his debut in just the fourth Test, Konstas has had several run-ins with Indian players already. Chopra’s tweet appears as a jab towards the young batter, inviting him to play in India, where overseas batters usually have a hard time playing in spin-friendly conditions.
Therefore, Chopra’s sarcastic tweet stated that Konstas would struggle so much in India, he’d become a ‘has been’.
In the fourth Test, Konstas’ aggressive start – including two sixes off India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah – concluded in a shoulder-barging incident between him and Virat Kohli, resulting in a fine deducting 20 per cent of match fees for the latter.
In the fifth Test, Konstas’ run-in with Bumrah was followed by repeated sledging from Indian players towards the youngsters, with the likes of Kohli, Bumrah and Yashasvi Jaiswal getting involved.
“Yes Bumrah, there’s your man now,” Kohli was heard saying through the stump mic, while Bumrah responded by calling Konstas a No. 10 batter.
On the other hand, Jaiswal went one step further and tried to rattle the 19-year-old by sledging him in Hindi, a language Konstas does not understand.
“Hey Konstas, can’t you hit shots anymore?” said Jaiswal to taunt Konstas in the morning of Day 2 of the fifth Test.
While Konstas did hit a superb half-century on Test debut, he has made only 8 and 23 since that knock.
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