The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 went Australia's way and there were plenty of positives for the hosts. One of the biggest positives was the performance of opener Sam Konstas. Although the sample size is still small, Konstas has shown that he is a character in the field of cricket.
Konstas was involved in various clashes in the two Tests he played. Both the clashes came against two great Indian players – Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. Former Australian cricketer Damien Fleming spoke about Konstas' impact on the Indian players.
Fleming believes that Konstas has been able to create a spark among the Indian players with his attitude, which many players have failed to do. He also praised the youngster for remaining steadfast despite all the Indians' sledging in the field.
Damien Fleming talks about Sam Konstas' impact on Indian players
While writing his column for 'The Roar', Damien Fleming was shocked to see Jasprit Bumrah react the way he did after taking the wicket of Usman Khawaja in Australia's first innings of the Sydney Test .
“I have never seen (Jasprit) Bumrah react like this. So he sparked something in Indians that not a lot of people have. And when he (Sam Konstas) batted, he didn't seem bothered by all the talk from the Indians,” Fleming wrote in his column.
Not only Bumrah but also Sam Konstas had a run-in with Virat Kohli on his Test debut. He was also seen engaging well with the crowd and gesturing to them about the barge on his shoulder.
What happened between Sam Konstas and Jasprit Bumrah?
During the dying stages of Day 1 of the Sydney Test, Jasprit Bumrah was involved in a heated exchange with Sam Konstas. Bumrah bowled the last over of the day with Usman Khawaja on strike. The dough tried to take its time to make sure it was the last fish of the day.
Jasprit Bumrah was clearly unhappy with Khawaja's behavior and asked the batsman to be ready. At this point, non-striker Sam Konstas jumped onto the stage and said a few words to Bumrah.
Bumrah responded and it led to a war of words between the two players before the umpire intervened. Fittingly, Bumrah picked up Khawaja's wicket off the last ball of the day and immediately looked back at Konstas. The Indian players were clearly pumped and celebrated wildly with Konstas around them.
Damien Fleming hails Jasprit Bumrah
Damien Fleming praised Jasprit Bumrah for his brilliance throughout the series. However, he believes Travis Head was an equal candidate to win the Player of the Series award for his belligerence with the bat. He also feels that India missed out on Mohammed Shami in the series which cost them their chances.
“Bumrah deserved to be player of the series with 32 wickets, but there is an argument to be made that Travis Head won this trophy,” claimed Fleming.
“Bumrah is an absolute star, probably the greatest fast bowler on the tour that I have seen. Mohammed Siraj has probably shown that he is a handy backup bowler. But they need their third seamer – they missed Mohammed Shami badly,” he observed.
Meanwhile, Australia won the series 3-1 and booked their place in the World Test Championship final, where they will face South Africa at Lord's. The match will be played from June 11. On the other hand, India was eliminated from the race for the WTC Final.