Teenager Sam Konstas hit the third fastest half-century by an Australian Test opener on the first day of the fourth Test on Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Konstas (60 off 65) also got into a heated exchange with Virat Kohli after the pair clashed shoulders at the end of the 10th over with umpire Michael Gough and Usman Khawaja stepping in to settle matters before the player 19 years old. trapped leg-before by Ravindra Jadeja (1-54).
Khawaja (57), Marnus Labuschagne (72), and Steve Smith (68 not out) all made fifties in front of a crowd of 87,242 after skipper Pat Cummins elected to bat, reaching 311-6 at close hand, with India pacer Jasprit Bumrah (3-75) being the pick of the bowlers.
Virat Kohli (R) shares a heated exchange with Sam Konstas (L) and Usman Khawaja
India's Virat Kohli got into a heated debate with Australia's Sam Konstas in the 10th over of the first day
Umpire Michael Gough intervenes after Virat Kohli got into a heated exchange with opener Sam Konstas on the first day of the Boxing Day Test
“I think the emotions got to both of us,” Konstas told Australia's Channel Seven.
“I didn't quite understand, I was doing my gloves, then a bit of a shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket.”
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting said: “Virat walked one full pitch over to his right and started that.”
Khawaja scored his first fifty of the series before Bumrah hit 154-2 when the left-hander caught KL Rahul at mid-wicket.
Labuschagne then added 83 runs for the third wicket with Smith to take Australia to 237-2 but the hosts lost momentum when the former was caught at mid-on by the spinner Washington Sundar (1-37).
Series leading wicket-taker Travis Head was bowled for a duck by Bumrah in a crucial breakthrough for the tourists three overs later.
Bumrah then removed Mitchell Marsh (4) freely as Australia suffered a middle-order collapse, losing three wickets for nine runs.
Seamer Akash Deep (1-59) also added to the removal of Alex Carey (31) with the new ball to break a 53-run partnership with Smith, leaving Cummins (8no) at the top to provide support.
The five-match series is level at 1-1 after a wet draw in Brisbane with the final Test set to begin on January 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
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