Sydney: A fiery altercation occurred between India’s fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and Australian opener Sam Konstas just before the Stumps on Friday, sparking tension in an otherwise calm day of play.
Rishabh Pant, who was behind the stumps at the time, revealed his belief that Konstas was attempting to waste time to avoid facing another over from Bumrah. Pant, although unable to hear the precise details of the conversation, speculated that Konstas’ actions were aimed at delaying the game as Bumrah started his over just minutes before the scheduled break.
“I feel they had a little chitchat; they wanted to waste some time. I feel that’s the reason Konstas had a conversation with Jasprit Bumrah. He said something; I didn’t hear it. But I feel that’s the only thing which he wanted to do—waste some time so we don’t get to bowl one more over,” he told reporters post-Day 1 press conference here.
The situation escalated when Usman Khawaja, facing Bumrah, appeared to move out of the way just before Bumrah’s fifth delivery. This led to confusion, prompting Konstas, stationed at the non-striker’s end, to get involved and speak to Bumrah. The exchange became heated, with the umpires stepping in to separate the two players.
Despite the disruption, Bumrah remained focused and took the crucial wicket of Khawaja with the final ball before Stumps. The Indian team celebrated the wicket in front of Konstas, with Bumrah turning toward him in a defiant gesture.
At the close of play, Australia stood at 9/1 in their chase of India’s modest first-innings total of 185.
Australian all-rounder Beau Webster later spoke to the media, expressing confidence in Konstas’ abilities and stressing that the team was hopeful for a strong performance from the opener when play resumed the following day.
The match remains finely poised, with tensions continuing to simmer as both teams look to seize control on day two.
UNI
