On the first day, the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) saw the Australians dominate from the off. The opening stand’s bold attitude left the Indian bowlers speechless, and in a highly anticipated match, newcomer Sam Konstas stunned them with his aggressive shot-making skills in his first appearance.
The substitution of Sam Konstas for Nathan McSweeney by Australian selectors may have come as a surprise, but the 19-year-old seized the chance.
At 92.31, the New South Wales batsman struck a spectacular 65 off 60 balls, including two sixes and six fours. In addition, he became the fastest half-century in Test history for an Australian hitter making his debut in terms of balls taken.
With just fifty-two deliveries needed to reach the milestone, the 19-year-old actually became the fifth-fastest batsman overall in terms of fastest fifty scored on debut. In the end, Konstas could not have wished for a better start, but he may have missed a fantastic century in his first appearance, especially against a top-tier opponent like India, after being dismissed for 60.
Fastest fifty on Test Debut (By balls taken)
| Player | Deliveries | Opposition | Venue | Year |
| Yuvraj Patiala (IND) | 42 | England | Chennai | 1934 |
| Hardik Pandya (IND) | 48 | Sri Lanka | Galle | 2017 |
| Sarfaraz Khan (IND) | 48 | England | Rajkot | 2024 |
| Shikhar Dhawan (IND) | 50 | Australia | Mohali | 2013 |
| Sam Konstas* (AUS) | 52 | India | Melbourne | 2024 |
The match on Day 1 got off to a respectable start thanks to the half-centuries from the other three batters in Australia’s top order in addition to the teenager. After reaching 57 off 121, opener Usman Khawaja left the game, and Marnus Labuschagne, who came in at number three, also made a contribution with 72. At the same time, star batsman Steven Smith reached his half-century. At the time of writing, Smith has faced 104 deliveries and was undefeated at 68.
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