Konstas may have failed with those first two scoops, but he tried again soon after and hit Bumrah – the world’s top-ranked bowler – for a six and two fours on the way to 60 from 65 balls.
Those shots marked one of the most remarkable starts to a Test career in recent memory – cult hero status gained in a matter of minutes by a batter long tipped for the top.
Because, while Konstas’ emergence at the highest level was explosive, the journey to get there has been long.
He was the Sydney suburb kid of Greek heritage who was scoring hundreds before his age had reached double figures.
In October he became the youngest player since the great Ricky Ponting to score centuries in each innings of a match in the Sheffield Shield, Australia’s first-class competition.
Two years before that, and just a month after his 17th birthday, Konstas became the youngest batter to score a century for Sutherland in the top tier of Sydney’s notoriously tough grade cricket.
The previous holder of that record? A certain Steve Smith.
“I remember not being too surprised it was him that did it,” says Sutherland captain Tom Doyle.
The talent has always been there, those scoop shots too.
“We had a T20 game and he had come off a hundred in the U21s game in the morning,” says Doyle, remembering another innings by Konstas while still aged 17.
“I remember him getting sledged by the opposition and he preceded to ramp like he did for Australia against some pretty intimidating first grade bowlers.”
A host of internationals have passed through the club’s pavilion – Smith, Shane Watson, West Indies legend Andy Roberts and Glenn McGrath to name a few.
Konstas joined as a 17-year-old in 2022 from St George’s – the club where the great Sir Don Bradman once played – in a switch that made the newspapers, such was the noise around him.
“It is hard to compare,” Doyle says. “From a talent level, Sam is no doubt on par.
“He is on this upwards curve where he keeps getting better and better each time he plays.”
Those that know Konstas describe him as polite and a hard worker.
During his time at Cranbrook School, then in his early teens, he first met Islam – a former first-class cricketer and a batting consultant in the school’s cricket set-up.
He and Islam speak every day, practising together numerous times per week, while Watson, the all-rounder who played 307 times for Australia, has become a mentor working on Konstas’ mental approach.
“The one that really sticks out was when I was at the rugby grand final and Sammy kept calling me,” Islam says.
“He wasn’t quite happy with how he had batted in his club session, had a game the next day and wanted a net session at 6am before his game.
“I remember thinking I have never seen anyone have that desire and hunger to make sure he has ticked every box to give himself the best chance.
“He hit for about an hour and a half and got 205 in that game.”
