Sam Konstas admits provoking Jasprit Bumrah in Sydney Test: It was my fault

Australia’s Sam Konstas admitted to provoking Jasprit Bumrah on Day 1 of the fifth Test in Sydney, a move that ultimately backfired.

When the Indian pacer dismissed Usman Khawaja on the last delivery of the day. With 15 minutes left in the day’s play, Australian openers Usman Khawaja and Konstas faced the daunting task of surviving against Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj on a lively SCG track.

A minor interruption from Khawaja, who stepped away to slow things down, seemingly irked Bumrah. However, it was Konstas at the non-striker’s end who escalated the tension by engaging in a verbal exchange with the Indian stand-in captain. The heated moment ended with the umpire’s intervention. On the very next delivery, Bumrah dismissed Khawaja with a sharp delivery that caught the edge, sending the Indian team into wild celebrations. Bumrah then stepped toward Konstas in celebration but refrained from further escalation.

Reflecting on the incident, Konstas admitted his role in the sequence of events. Speaking to Triple M, he said, “I didn’t get too fazed. Unfortunately, Uzi got out. He was trying to buy some time. It was probably my fault, but it happens. It’s cricket. Credit to Bumrah for the wicket, but overall, it was a great team performance.”

Konstas was a polarising figure in his debut series. From riling up Bumrah to theatrically egging on a crowd of 90,000 after a maiden half-century, the teenager has left his mark. His audacity was further highlighted in Melbourne, where he reverse-ramped Bumrah for four, setting the tone for a memorable debut series. However, his antics haven’t always been welcomed. Virat Kohli’s shoulder charge in the previous Test-aimed at Konstas-sparked widespread criticism and earned Kohli a fine.

“No, I was very calm. I was talking to my parents and teammates. Uzi (Khawaja) mentioned my adrenaline was pumped when batting, but I didn’t feel it. Still, it was a great debut, and I’m happy with two wins.”

Konstas was uncertain about being selected for Australia’s upcoming two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. “Yeah, I’m not too sure if I’m selected yet. I think we’ll find out in the next few days, but obviously adapting to different conditions maybe we’ll find a new Sam. I think so, but time will tell.”