Sam Konstas made a name for himself by fearlessly taking ace Indian pace bowler but accepted that he was lucky to have survived when Jasprit Bumrah beat his bat four times in the very first over. Bumrah and India were briefly stunned as debutant Konstas managed a 65-ball 60 on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test.
"I think, just getting used to the wicket, first time facing Bumrah, getting used to his action. He beat my bat quite a few times and I was lucky enough to get a few away but it was a great contest," he said.
Nonetheless, taking risks is his style of play and it wouldn't change, he insisted.
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After being presented with the Test cap by former skipper Mark Taylor, with his brothers and parents in attendance, Konstas literally sprinted out in the middle, eager to get on with the game.
He requested senior partner Usman Khawaja to allow him first strike against Bumrah. "...that's a part of my routine. I always like to go out first, assert my dominance in a way and try to own the crease. But yeah, I told Uzzie (Usman Khawaja) straightaway, I'm going to go out first, and I'm going to go for the win.
"...he's so good to bat with, very calm and relaxed and just someone to trust my instincts and back my game," he heaped praise on his senior partner who also got a half century as Australia raced to 311/6 on day one.
But no matter his confidence, watching the nearly packed MCG and a choc-a-bloc Aussie dug-out made everything surreal for the youngster.
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"I feel like the boys welcomed me. So just playing with that freedom and backing myself and lucky to get a few runs today, obviously a bit disappointed with the way I got out," he said.
The right-hander, who has made a name playing for New South Wales, was brought in to replace a rather jittery Nathan McSweeney and present a "different challenge to India". Evidently, he understood the assignment quite well.
The baby-faced player also had a brief but not-so-friendly chat with one of his childhood heroes and a giant of the game, Virat Kohli. But what stood out was the kind of brazenness he displayed in handling Bumrah that very few have dared to in the last six-seven years.
"Yeah, definitely premeditated especially with the pace but just trying to keep my head still and just watch it as hard on my back. But yeah, got a few away today and changed the field, which was good, and then trying to bolster my zones," Konstas explained.
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Notably, despite his confidence, Konstas is also respectful of what a bowler of Bumrah's calibre is capable of doing.
"He's a legend of the game obviously. So I was trying to put a bit of pressure on him and it paid off today. I think I am always challenging myself, trying to bring the best out of me," said Konstas, who has learnt his cricket under former Bangladesh first-class player Tahmid Islam.
