Teenager Sam Konstas hit the third-quickest half-century by an Australian Test debutant during day one of the fourth Test on Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Konstas (60 off 65) also got into a heated exchange with Virat Kohli after the pair bumped shoulders at the end of the 10th over with umpire Michael Gough and Usman Khawaja having to step in to calm things down before the 19-year-old was trapped leg-before by Ravindra Jadeja (1-54).
Khawaja (57), Marnus Labuschagne (72), and Steve Smith (68 not out) all made half-centuries in front of a crowd of 87,242 after skipper Pat Cummins chose to bat, reaching 311-6 at close, with India’s pacer Jasprit Bumrah (3-75) being the pick of the bowlers.
Virat Kohli (R) shares a heated exchange with Sam Konstas (L) and Usman Khawaja
India’s Virat Kohli got into a heated conversation with Australia’s Sam Konstas in the 10th over of day one
Umpire Michael Gough intervenes after Virat Kohli gets into a heated exchange with debutant Sam Konstas on day one of the Boxing Day Test
“I think the emotions got to both of us,” Konstas told Australia’s Channel Seven.
“I didn’t quite realise, I was doing my gloves, then a little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket.”
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting added: “Virat’s walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that.”
Khawaja scored his first half-century of the series before Bumrah struck at 154-2 when the left-hander chipped a catch to KL Rahul at mid-wicket.
Labuschagne then added 83 runs for the third wicket with Smith to bring Australia to 237-2 but the hosts lost momentum when the former was caught at mid-off by spinner Washington Sundar (1-37).
Travis Head, the leading run-scorer in the series, was bowled for a duck by Bumrah in what was a crucial breakthrough for the tourists three runs later.
Bumrah then removed Mitchell Marsh (4) cheaply as Australia suffered a middle-order collapse, losing three wickets for nine runs.
Seamer Akash Deep (1-59) also contributed by removing Alex Carey (31) with the new ball to break a 53-run partnership with Smith, leaving Cummins (8no) at the crease to provide support.
The five-match series is level at 1-1 after a rainy draw at Brisbane with the final Test scheduled to start on January 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
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