India in Australia 2024/25
After a good start to the 2024-25 Sheffield Shield season,Konstas was selected for the India A tour of Australia. [16] In the 2nd innings of the second unofficial Test,Konstas scored 73 not out and,alongside teammate Beau Webster,sealed the win. Konstas was then selected for the Prime-Ministers XI 1 Dec 2024 match against India A. [17] In the shortened game of forty six overs per side,Konstas scored 107 off 97 with 14 fours and a six against bowlers such as Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja.
On 20 December 2024,Konstas was named in the Australian 15-man Test squad for the 2024 Boxing Day Test against India. [18] He had his Baggy green presented to him by former Australian Captain Mark Taylor. [19] He was brought in as a replacement to Nathan McSweeney ahead of the fourth Test match in the Border-Gavaskar series. [20] Konstas was preferred over McSweeney due to the lack of form for the latter in his debut Test series,having scored just 72 runs across six innings in three Tests (average of 12.00). [21] [22]
He subsequently made a successful if eventful debut as an opener,scoring a rapid 60 runs,including many unorthodox ramp shots with four fours and two sixes. He reached 50 runs from 52 balls,the third-fastest 50 by an Australian debutant in Test cricket. [23] [24] [25] [26] During Australia's first innings,former Indian captain Virat Kohli shoulder bumped him after an over. Kohli was found guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct and was penalised 20% of his match fee and the loss of one demerit point. [27]
His next test at the Sydney Cricket Ground was less effective on the field,being dismissed for 23 and 22 runs on the way to an Australian match and series win. [28] Although he was involved in a verbal incident with Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah in the final over of Day 1,after his opening partner Usman Khawaja was accused of wasting time. After Bumrah dismissed Khawaja shortly after,Bumrah and other Indian players were seen to celebrate towards Konstas. [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]
