In a fiery start to the Boxing Day Test, tempers flared as Virat Kohli and 19-year-old debutant Sam Konstas clashed on the field, leaving fans and experts buzzing with reactions.
On the first day of the Test in Melbourne, Kohli faced sharp criticism after a heated moment with the young Australian opener. The incident unfolded during the fourth and final Test when Konstas displayed remarkable batting skills, taking on Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah with aggression. At the end of the 10th over, Kohli and Konstas collided shoulders, sparking a brief exchange. However, Usman Khawaja and the umpires quickly intervened to diffuse the situation.
Replays revealed that after the final delivery of the over, Konstas returned to his crease and walked straight across the pitch, inadvertently colliding with Kohli, who was approaching from the other side.
Speaking with Channel 7 during the second session, Konstas downplayed the incident, saying, “Perhaps we both got a bit emotional. I was fixing my gloves and didn’t realize the minor shoulder contact. These things happen in cricket.”
Notably, Sam Konstas impressed in his debut match, scoring 60 runs off 65 balls, including two sixes and four fours. He faced 33 balls from Bumrah, scoring 34 runs, and 19 deliveries from Mohammed Siraj, adding 20 more runs.