India stage comeback after Australian teen debutant Konstas shines in fourth Test

India mounted a strong response by claiming four late wickets, leaving Australia at 311 for six at the conclusion of day one of the fourth Test on Thursday.

This came after the impressive performance of teenage debutant Sam Konstas, who dazzled the Melbourne Cricket Ground with a remarkable innings in the morning session.

The atmosphere intensified in the sweltering heat before a large Boxing Day crowd of 87,242, particularly when Virat Kohli faced jeers from local fans following a shoulder bump with Konstas, who had been aggressively targeting India's bowlers early in his innings.

Konstas remained unfazed by the incident, ultimately scoring 60 runs off 65 balls, as Australia's top order responded positively to captain Pat Cummins' decision to bat first after winning the toss.

"It was quite surreal, obviously, with the big crowd, the largest I've ever played in front of, and I feel like the boys welcomed me," remarked Konstas, who has only participated in 11 first-class matches thus far. "I just played with freedom and backed myself, and I was fortunate to score some runs today. I am a bit disappointed with how I got out, but I hope we can build some momentum for tomorrow."

Jasprit Bumrah played a crucial role in keeping India competitive, dismissing the dangerous Travis Head for a duck with the old ball and forcing all-rounder Mitchell Marsh to edge behind for four runs.

Seamer Akash Deep later contributed by taking the wicket of Alex Carey for 31, interrupting a brisk 53-run partnership with Steve Smith.

At stumps, Smith remained unbeaten on 68, while tailender Cummins was on eight. After a strong start, where Australia surpassed 150 runs for the loss of just one wicket, they found themselves only slightly ahead in the match by day's end.

Openers Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne both missed opportunities to secure centuries. Khawaja was dismissed for 57, caught by KL Rahul off Bumrah's bowling just before tea, while Labuschagne fell for 72, attempting to hit all-rounder Washington Sundar over mid-off. Labuschagne's dismissal marked the beginning of a collapse, as Australia lost three wickets for just nine runs.

Konstas previously captivated the audience as he faced Bumrah with enthusiasm, effectively unsettling the visiting team.

An annoyed Kohli exchanged shoulder bumps with him at the conclusion of the 10th over, while Konstas dismissed a torrent of insults from pacer Mohammed Siraj with indifference.

After being trapped lbw by Ravindra Jadeja following the second drinks break, Konstas departed to thunderous applause, having achieved the third-fastest half-century (50 runs from 52 balls) by an Australian Test debutant, following in the footsteps of Adam Gilchrist and Ashton Agar.

'See ball, hit ball'
Konstas, who stepped in for the omitted Nathan McSweeney, had vowed to maintain a straightforward 'see ball, hit ball' strategy in his inaugural Test.

However, Bumrah outsmarted him four times in the opening over before Konstas managed to score two runs off his pads, eliciting a cheer from the crowd.

The Indian players chuckled when Konstas failed to connect with two attempted ramp shots against Bumrah, but he quickly silenced their laughter with a four, a six, and another four in his subsequent three attempts during the quick's fourth over.

As he danced down the wicket to face Siraj, he swung and missed, resulting in a prolonged glare and some choice words from the fiery bowler, who was met with boos from the audience.

Konstas charged at Siraj again on the next delivery, successfully hitting him for three runs.

After reaching his fifty with a couple of runs off Siraj, the bowler exacted a small measure of revenge by delivering a ball that struck the Australian in a sensitive area, yet the young batter managed to remain at the crease for an additional six overs.

With the five-Test series tied at 1-1, following a drawn match at the Gabba, India made the decision to drop number three Shubman Gill and elevate the similarly struggling captain Rohit Sharma to that position.

In a surprising move, selectors opted to include Sundar as a second spin option instead of adding another fast bowler.

Scott Boland took the place of the injured fast bowler Josh Hazlewood in Australia's lineup, marking his return to the team for his second Test of the series following his performance in Adelaide.