Sam Konstas has become one of the trending names in Australian cricket after his blistering debut against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The 19-year-old top-order batter earned his maiden Test cap in the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
He smashed a breathtaking half-century in his first innings in Test cricket as he rattled the Indian bowlers with laps and reverse scoops. He didn’t get a big score after that but he got decent starts in the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Overall, Konstas has had a good start to his Test career, scoring 113 runs in four innings.
However, more than his knock, Konstas was in the limelight due to one particular incident with Virat Kohli at the MCG. The New South Wales lad was involved in a shoulder bump with Kohli which the latter was fined for (20% of his match fee).
The two-Test-old opener revealed that he spoke to Kohli after the game and admitted that he idolized the former India captain. Konstas was in complete awe of Kohli when the two met.
Another aspect was that Konstas was constantly engaging with the crowd while fielding on the boundary and even while batting. He was egging them on and he added that it was a surreal experience, especially when Kohli was batting and the crowd as chanting his name.
“I had a little chat after the game telling him [Virat Kohli] that I idolize him, and it is obviously a huge honour playing against him When I did verse him, I was like, ‘wow, Virat Kohli is batting.’ He just had that presence about him, all the Indian crowd getting amongst it. Chanting his name. It was quite surreal,” Sam Konstas was quoted saying to CODE Sports.
Kohli was very down to earth: Konstas
Konstas revealed bits of his conversation with Kohli. He said that the 36-year-old wished him the best for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour where Australia will play two Test matches. The Australian opener said that Kohli is someone who is very down to earth and his entire family is in love with the Indian superstar.
“He was very down to earth. A lovely person and just wishing me all the best saying hopefully I go well on the tour of Sri Lanka he said if I am in. My whole family loves Virat. I have idolized him from a young age and he is a legend of the game,” Konstas added.
