Sam Konstas vs India: New South Wales coach slams Indian cricket team for their ‘disgraceful act’ towards 19-year-old.
New South Wales coach Greg Shipperd had no hesitation attacking the Indian cricket team for the way they bullied their way down to 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas in the Sydney Test.
Shipperd, a mentor to Konstas also, felt the Indian cricket team would have been served a better notice if they were reprimanded for the way they responded following the wicket falls of Usman Khawaja on Day 1 of the Sydney Test.
“I think it was a disgraceful act and should have been punished far more severely than it was,” Shipperd told SEN.
“He or the circumstance got under the skin of Jasprit, and the team response was super aggressive towards him.
Talking about Bumrah’s altercation with Konstas after Khawaja’s wicket, he said: “I don’t know if he thrives on it. I think it surprised him.”
Konstas won hearts and minds for his dazzling ramp shots en route to a half-century in his first Test innings at the MCG.
“You could have straight-batted and forward-defended and tried your luck that way, but that may not have worked,” Shipperd said.
“Sam has taken the really aggressive route, which was to play some shots that we would go ‘that’s T20 cricket’, but that was his form of problem solving in the moment.
“It could be described as ‘chaotic’ by a lot of people, but I think over time that we and he and the rest of the people around him will add the craftsmanship to that particular approach.
We started a player and he’s gonna be here a long time. I would have never called that kid arrogant about anything in this world.”He’s just such a fantastic young man, in love with the game, plays the game and responds in that moment.