Sam Konstas, a promising 19-year-old debutant, made history in cricket during the Boxing Day Test against India in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). His fearless 60-run knock from 65 balls made him the second youngest player ever to score a half-century for Australia in Test cricket.
At 19 years and 85 days, Konstas joined an elite group of young Australian cricketers, trailing only Ian Craig, who achieved the feat at 17 years and 240 days in 1953. Other notable players in this list include Neil Harvey, who scored a fifty at 19 years and 121 days in 1948, and Archie Jackson, who reached the milestone at 19 years and 150 days in 1929.
Konstas’s confident innings, featuring six boundaries and two towering sixes, showcased his potential against a formidable Indian bowling attack. However, his stay at the crease ended in the 20th over when Ravindra Jadeja dismissed him.
Konstas’s stellar performance in the Boxing Day Test reflects a remarkable journey in cricket. Before his Test debut, he caught attention during a warm-up pink-ball game against India, where he scored a commanding 107 off 97 balls. In a two-match series between Australia A and India A, he further impressed with 92 runs, including an unbeaten 73 in a match-winning effort.
The young batter also played a pivotal role in Australia’s ICC U19 World Cup 2024 triumph, accumulating 191 runs in seven innings at an average of 27.28, highlighted by a century. His exploits with the Prime Minister’s XI in a two-day game against the touring Indian side, where he scored a century, cemented his status as a future star.
In domestic cricket, Konstas has been a standout performer in the ongoing Sheffield Shield season. With 471 runs in five matches at an impressive average of 58.87, including two centuries and a best score of 152, he ranks as the fifth-highest run-getter of the season. Over his 11 first-class matches, he has amassed 718 runs at an average of 42.2, with two centuries and three fifties to his name.
Australia Playing XI: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (WK), Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
India Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.