Head Coach McDonald Hails Sam Konstas For Putting “Pressure Back” On India In First Inning At MCG

December 31, 2024: Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, has lauded the impressive performance of young batting sensation Sam Konstas during the Melbourne Test against India, a match where Australia claimed a commanding 184-run victory, taking a 2-1 lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The win also ended India’s hopes of qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord’s next year.

Konstas, just 19, was called into the squad to replace Nathan McSweeney, and was tasked with opening the innings in front of a packed MCG crowd against India’s formidable pace attack. His fearless approach at the crease quickly caught the attention of fans and pundits alike. The highlight of his knock came when he played a sublime ramp shot off India’s ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, signaling his intent to play aggressively right from the outset, even with the new red ball.

Despite his youth and inexperience at the international level, Konstas looked right at home, scoring 25 runs before being dismissed. His aggressive batting was credited with putting early pressure on the Indian bowlers, allowing the Australian middle order to capitalize later in the innings.

Speaking after the match, McDonald admitted he was slightly surprised by how early Konstas took the game to the opposition, noting, “I suppose the conversation was how early was he going to get into those proactive shots, and the twelfth ball did surprise me a little bit.” However, McDonald also emphasized that the selectors had been closely following Konstas’ domestic journey, with his rise through the ranks well-documented.

“We knew what we were getting into as selectors. You follow that journey. Did we get a little bit more than what we expected? No doubt about that,” McDonald explained. “His ability to put pressure on, and I think people talk about heavy-duty runs in the first innings, and he put the pressure back on and allowed our middle order to get to work.”

Indeed, Konstas’ knock set the tone for the rest of the Australian top order. Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne capitalized on the pressure Konstas created, building solid partnerships and extending Australia’s advantage. McDonald noted, “Steve Smith capitalised on that and Marnus (Labuschagne) was good, so it set the tone. There’s no doubt about that. I thought that combination of top looked like something going forward that could work.”

Australia set India a challenging target of 340 runs at the start of Day 5. The Indian team, despite having the entire final day to chase the target, was bowled out for 155, with Pat Cummins leading the way with a brilliant all-round performance. Cummins was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his impactful contribution with both bat and ball, ensuring Australia wrapped up a dominant victory and took control of the series.

Konstas’ performance, though brief, has surely captured the imagination of Australian cricket fans, and with his fearless approach, he may well have cemented his place in future Test line-ups.