Australia made a strong start on the first day of the Boxing Day Test being played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. By the end of the first day’s play, Australia had scored 311 runs for 6 wickets. Debutant Sam Konstas had a special contribution in this score, who scored 60 runs in 65 balls. However, the most talked about incident of the day was the clash between Constas and Indian star cricketer Virat Kohli.
Sam Constas speaks on clash with Virat Kohli
During the match, there was a heated exchange between Virat Kohli and Sam Constas in the 10th over. In this incident, Kohli hit Constas on the shoulder while fielding, after which an altercation broke out between the two. In this case, ICC took action on Virat Kohli and fined him 20% of the match fee and also gave him one demerit point.
Speaking on the incident in the post-match press conference, Kontas said:
“I was taking off my gloves when Virat accidentally collided with me. I think it was due to stress. It is part of cricket. I am happy that I got a chance to play freely and I tried to give my best on every ball. Was lucky to score some runs.”
This calm and mature answer of Kontas has won the hearts of the fans.
Strong performance by Australian batting
Australia won the toss and decided to bat first and their batsmen proved it right.
- Marnus Labuschagne: Played a wonderful inning of 72 runs.
- Usman Khawaja: Scored 57 runs and gave a strong start to the team.
- Steve Smith: By the end of the day’s play he returned not out on 68 runs.
- Sam Constas: Proved his place by playing a brilliant inning of 60 runs in the debut match.
Constas showed confidence on the field and played fearlessly against the Indian bowlers, especially Jasprit Bumrah.
first day analysis
Australia kept the first day’s play in its favor. Indian bowlers took wickets from time to time, but failed to stop big partnerships.
- Jasprit Bumrah: Throwed some aggressive spells, but proved costly.
- Mohammed Siraj and Ashwin: Bowled accurately, but the Australian batsmen played with restraint.
Constas’ aggressiveness in Australia’s batting and Smith’s solid innings put India on the backfoot.
ICC’s strictness on Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli was found guilty of violating the Code of Conduct by the ICC after the clash with Constas.
- Fine: 20% of the match fee was deducted.
- Demerit Points: Another demerit point added to Kohli’s account.
This incident shows a surge of emotions on the cricket field, but Constas showed his maturity by taking it in stride.
eyes on the next day
On the second day of the Melbourne Test, India’s bowlers will have the challenge of defeating Australia cheaply. At the same time, Australia will try to put pressure on the Indian batsmen by scoring more than 400.
The debut of Constas and his heated exchange with Kohli is making this match even more exciting.
