This emerging rivalry seems to be developing parallel with the sparring between Virat Kohli and the Australian media.
In the opening set of the Bumrah versus Konstas battle, the 19-year-old Australian cricketer demonstrated his quality while facing Bumrah in the recently concluded Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last week. He came out playing aggressively against one of the world’s top fast bowlers.
Konstas scored 32 runs off two overs—14 runs in one over and 18 in another. Bumrah later said that he could have dismissed Konstas multiple times in those initial overs, yet it was clear that the Indian pacer was unsettled at that moment.
Bumrah bounced back strongly in the second innings, getting Konstas out cheaply and thus winning Round 2. The third round, however, will be one of the most memorable ones as it will take place at the end of Day 1 of the 5th Test in Sydney.
During the last hour of the day, Bumrah and Konstas were in a heated exchange. As Usman Khawaja prepared to face Bumrah, he delayed the bowler’s run-up, which did not sit well with Bumrah. In response to Bumrah’s visible frustration, Konstas, positioned at the non-striker’s end, attempted to provoke him further.
