Melbourne, Dec 26
Former Australia head coach Justin Langer was in awe of debutant opener Sam Konstas' fiery 60-run knock in the ongoing Boxing Day Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday.
Konstas made his debut in place of Nathan McSweeney in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Melbourne. The series, which is tightly contested, is currently levelled at 1-1 after a draw in Brisbane.
The 19-year-old made an instant impact on the international stage with his fearless stroke play against pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. During his 65-ball stay at the crease, the right-handed batter struck six fours and two sixes.
Konstas' knock also gave a platform for partner Usman Khawaja to end his struggling form in the series. The southpaw scored 57 off 121 balls before being dismissed by Bumrah.
Langer said that Konstas' attacking approach reminded him of former India swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag's 195 against Australia in Melbourne during the 2003 tour.
"That's the word (awe). Before the game, Sam Konstas was very confident and had been speaking a lot. He has backed it up with his actions, has been incredible to watch. He reminded me of Virender Sehwag back in 2003, when he scored 195 off 233 balls on Day 1. He blew us away, we couldn't believe the confidence," Langer said during his commentary on Star Sports.
The veteran Australian added that Konstas also provided relief to senior partner Khawaja in the middle.
"We also see that the way Konstas has played on debut, he has freed up Usman Khawaja. He has looked at ease, he was used to batting with David Warner, who played with an aggressive approach. Now, he's playing with a partner with a similar approach, and that takes a lot of pressure off," Langer added.
Earlier, Australia skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and opted to bat first. The home side made two changes - Konstas and Scott Boland - while for India, all-rounder Washington Sundar replaced Shubman Gill in the playing 11.