Sam Konstas reveals what Virat Kohli told him and reveals more on his Jasprit Bumrah run-in

If people hadn’t heard of Sam Konstas before, he made sure he was the name on everyone’s lips following a stunning Test debut as he became a central figure to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s biggest flashpoints.

Having been parachuted into an opening partnership caught in the headlights of a Jasprit Bumrah supercar the 19-year-old launched an all-out assault on the Indian champion ramping and crashing his way to 60.

It was the first time Bumrah had looked vulnerable all summer and set the tone for Australia’s total and eventual thrilling win in the Boxing Day Test.

“I thought that was the best method at that time,” he told the Herald Sun.

“I thought, let’s try put a bit of pressure because all series I don’t think we had a lot of intent like that.

“It was my first time playing in front of 90,000 people on day one at the MCG and I was like, ‘holy crap, this is surreal.

“Playing against legends of the game like Kohli and Bumrah and playing with legends like Steve Smith and Pat Cummins, it is what I’ve dreamt of as a kid and I was just trying to soak up every second of it really.

“I think at stages the emotions got to me a bit. I loved every second of it but there’s great learnings to be had and reflect on and hopefully in future tours I can learn from that.”

However, arguably his debut innings will not be remembered for his audacious stroke play but rather a run-in with Indian champion Virat Kohli who shoulder-charged the young opener at the MCG on his debut.

Despite the encounter, Konstas said Kohli remains his idol revealing the pair cleared the air after the game.

“I had a little chat after the game telling him that I idolise him, and it’s obviously a huge honour playing against him,” Konstas said.

“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.

“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’m in.

The drama didn’t stop there for Konstas. In Sydney, he became involved in a heated exchange with Bumrah late on day one and was given quite the send-off, despite not being dismissed, when Khawaja fell on the last ball of the day.

Australian coach Andrew McDonald called it ‘intimidating’ while Indian coach Gautam Gambhir fired back saying ‘you can’t be that soft’ and play Test cricket.

Konstas says in hindsight it was unwise to goad the Indian superstar but had no problems with other people’s opinions over his style.

“I feel like I love being in the contest and trying to put my best foot forward,” Konstas said.

“I feel like it’s probably a good learning for me. I was trying to waste a little bit of time there so they didn’t get another over. But [Bumrah] had the last laugh.

“If that happened again, maybe I wouldn’t have said anything.”

“I feel like I’ve got a close circle and I know which people to go to when things aren’t going well, everyone’s entitled to their opinions and I respect what they say.”