It started with Yashasvi Jaiswal taunting Mitchell Starc in Perth. A well set Jaiswal blocked a delivery from Starc and said “You are bowling too slow.” When Starc was quizzed about the “sledge” after the match, he said “I didn’t hear him say I bowl too slow. I don’t say too much to people these days.” The Aussie pacer reserved his words and he let the ball do all the talking as he dismissed the young Indian opener on the first ball of the next Test in Adelaide.
FIRST BALL OF THE TEST!
Mitchell Starc sends Adelaide into delirium.#AUSvIND | #PlayOfTheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/pIPwqlX3dJ— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2024
Then it was turn of Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head to get involved in a heated exchange. When Siraj clean bowled Head, only after Head had hammered a thunderous hundred, he gestured towards the dressing room, giving the Aussie batsman a send-off. There were some words exchanged between the two players during the proceedings. While Head said that he had complemented Siraj and had said “well bowled”, Siraj denied this claim. The two players were found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct.
The end of a sensational innings! ????️#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/kEIlHmgNwT
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 7, 2024
At the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the Boxing Day Test Virat Kohli shoulder barged Aussie debutant Sam Konstas and was fined 20 per cent of his match fee.
Konstas found himself in the thick of action yet again, this time in Sydney. This time he confronted India’s stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah.
Things started to heat up between the two from the very-first delivery of the Australian innings. The 19-year-old Konstas dared to take-on the Indian pace sensation and whacked him for a boundary.
Sam Konstas whacks Jasprit Bumrah for four with the first ball of the innings!#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/6Q62rXAwE4
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 3, 2025
Two overs later, as Bumrah was gearing up to bowl to Usman Khawaja in the final few minutes of the opening day of the Perth Test he was halted as Khawaja was not ready to face the delivery. Bumrah was unimpressed. The Indian skipper expressed his displeasure and Konstas got involved with Bumrah. The two charged towards each other angrily and it is only due to the on-field umpire’s involvement that the two players were managed to be kept separate.
Bumrah ran in, worked his magic and forced Khawaja to edge the ball to KL Rahul in the slip cordon. The wicket charged up the Indian camp which otherwise looked dull all through the day. Although Bumrah was thrilled to remove Khawaja, but instead of celebrating his success, he walked towards Konstas and gave the Aussie opener a cold stare!
Fiery scenes in the final over at the SCG!
How’s that for a finish to Day One ????#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/BAAjrFKvnQ— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 3, 2025
Australia ended the day at 9/1 in 3 overs, trailing India by 176 runs. Earlier in the day India were bowled out on 185. Khawaja’s dismissal on the last ball of the first day and Bumrah-Konstas face-off has set things up for an intriguing second day.
First Published: Jan 3, 2025 2:11 PM IST
