Mitchell Johnson, the former Aussie fast bowler, thinks that 19-year-old Sam Konstas still has a lot to learn after his attempt to get under Jasprit Bumrah's skin during the Sydney Test backfired. While Australia clinched the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1, the spotlight is mostly on Konstas and his run-in with Bumrah on Day 1.

Right before Day 1 wrapped up, Konstas was chatting away to Bumrah from the non-striker's end, but Bumrah wasn't having any of it and let the young player know how he felt.

Just two balls later, Bumrah took out Usman Khawaja and immediately made a beeline for Konstas. The whole Indian team rushed over to back up their bowler. Australian coach Andrew McDonald had previously called this moment "intimidating."

India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, brushed off the accusation, stating that cricket is a game for tough individuals, and there's no space for being "soft."

In his piece for The Nightly, Johnson mentioned, "Australia’s Usman Khawaja got out on the last ball of the day after stalling play to try and face just two more deliveries. This moment sparked a heated exchange between opener Sam Konstas and a fired-up Jasprit Bumrah, with India ultimately having the last laugh just a couple of balls later."

"When it comes to the clash between batsman and bowler, the bowler usually has the upper hand. A batsman can get out from a single bad shot or be caught off a perfectly bowled delivery, leading to a wave of celebration from the bowler and their teammates. So, engaging in some banter or a duel with a bowler demands serious concentration, as any slip-up could result in getting out, and then the player has to face the consequences," he added.'

Just not the right moment

Mitchell Johnson, known for his fair share of controversies on the field, pointed out that Konstas chose the wrong time to get involved, as there could only be one winner at that point in the game.

"Konstas’ lack of experience was evident when he jumped into a situation he probably should have avoided. Khawaja, being a seasoned player, knows how to handle these moments, and the young guy should have let him take the lead," Johnson mentioned.

"I get that Konstas was trying to back up his teammate, but it just wasn’t the right moment for that kind of involvement. At that late stage, there was only one possible outcome. I’m curious if Khawaja had a word with Konstas or if any of the other veterans gave him some tips after the day’s play on how to deal with these kinds of situations," he added.

Johnson also commented on how the Indian team adopted a 'two against 11' mentality. However, he noted that this approach didn’t seem to rattle Sam Konstas and debutant Beau Webster.

"The Indian team seemed to take on this mindset of 'two against 11' while out there, trying to make the Aussie batters feel alone and pressured. But their attempts to intimidate the Aussie newcomers didn’t really work, as both Konstas and Webster showed they could hold their own," Johnson wrote.

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