BGT 2024-25: Sam Konstas, the Wild Thing with the bat on Boxing Day

What is Sam Konstas?

Is he David Warner regenerated? Is he from the stables of Bazball? Or is he a hitman that Australia hired specifically to rattle Jasprit Bumrah and his bowling colleagues?

Simply put, he is all of these in one package.

He is the very definition of the exuberance of modern-day youth. Leading up to the Boxing Day Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, Konstas' selection over Nathan McSweeney dominated all talk. The lad himself declared his keenness to get into the contest and take on the world's best and one of the all-time greats. A reverse-ramp off Marnus Labuschagne's throwdown on Christmas Eve was followed by 'Bowled Bumrah.'

Chief selector George Bailey copped flak aplenty for selling McSweeney a rough deal in what has been a bowler-friendly series and with Bumrah having the batters on toast. Konstas was 11 first-class matches old prior to this Test and turned 19 in October. It was a feeling that he wasn't ready that led to the selectors picking McSweeney over him at the start of the series.

After what unfolded on the opening morning of the Boxing Day Test though, Bailey may well sponsor Konstas a lifetime's supply of drinks.

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Audacious Sam Konstas meets Jasprit Bumrah in the eye

It's the most challenging task on the planet for a cricketer — facing Jasprit Bumrah with the brand new cherry.

Sam Konstas gave India's bowlers a hiding on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test.

Not only did Konstas ace the test but he walked the talk. So much so that he took strike for the first over after Australia opted to bat first. The prospect of facing the world's best in front of 76,000+ at the Melbourne Cricket Ground did not faze the New South Welshman, but he had his challenges to cope with. A top-class opening over from Bumrah induced quite a few plays and misses.

Beginner's luck? Well, you need some luck when you're facing Bumrah anyway. Even if you're a perfectionist. Mohammed Siraj beat Usman Khawaja's outside edge on quite a few occasions himself and with no run coming off the first two overs, there would have been some pressure mounting.

Konstas eventually clipped one behind square on the leg side to open his account in Test cricket. And then, off the fifth ball of the third over, the reverse-ramp came. Beaten.

Gutsy. Borderline stupidity as Irfan Pathan tweeted. But that's Konstas. That's how he plays. India would know that having watched him pull off a few of these in the pink ball warmup for the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra before the second Test. But to try it off Bumrah in the second over of your Test debut, what were the odds?

Out came another attempt in the fifth over. He missed out again. Surely he was pushing it?

But nope, not in his mind at least. The seventh over of the Test is where he would truly rattle India. It began with a 'conventional' ramp - if such a thing exists - for a boundary over the vacant fine leg region. The very next delivery saw him go for the reverse-ramp. Over the third man ropes for six. He repeats it two deliveries later, this time for four. And as if to mock the world's best bowler, he defends the last ball to show that he has that shot in his armory as well.

Siraj had a go at him, only to be cut to the fence. Virat Kohli gave him a stare. And then came the much talked about shoulder-barge which we can say with conviction that we haven't heard the last of just yet. But Konstas went on and on, flaying India's attack.

Bumrah went for 38 runs off his first six overs. It was as good as Australia could have dreamt of giving India a rude welcome on the opening day to take the early advantage.

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Konstas puts Australia on top on Day 1 of the fourth BGT 2024-25 Test

The attacking shots continued to flow off Konstas' willow, launching Bumrah over mid-wicket for a maximum in what was eventually the latter's last over of his first spell. The bat went up soon after as he notched up a fifty that will be spoken about for ages to come. A Boxing Day classic with the most ridiculously believable sequence of events. The MCG rose in awe.

After he was dismissed for 60 off 65 deliveries, Konstas soon entertained fans with autographs and selfies. The second of those has courted some controversy with regulations in place with regard to players and match officials using their mobile phones or other electronic devices. A clarification can be expected and maybe a word from the match referee too, if there was a violation.

But today was all about a teenage sensation who now has the world at his feet. The year started with him gearing up for the U19 World Cup and it'll end with Baggy Green number 468 to his kitty.

It was by no means a knock for the purists who love watching a good old-fashioned straight drive. It was a scarcely believable sight for it wasn't an innings of control. People on the internet lost it at the sight of an alarming control percentage. The next time he faces Bumrah, things could pan out exactly the opposite.

But Konstas was brought in for a purpose. And he served Australia that purpose with a wild display of batting. Without care for criticism had it not worked out - as if to say 'they're the idiots who picked a 19-year old,' to rephrase what Pat Cummins said about his own debut a day out of this Test.

The hosts took their own sweet time to contend with some tight bowling post Lunch with seven runs coming off the first eight overs of the second session. Because Konstas did what he did though, they could afford that. The damage was done.

The 'Wild Thing' is a name often associated with ferocious quicks in Australia. Shaun Tait first, Lance Morris now. Australia may have just unearthed a Wild Thing with the bat for a change.