Sawt Falasteen - Fearless Konstas slams 60 as Australia take upper hand against India

Batting after captain Pat Cummins won the toss on a searing hot day, the visitors were 112-1 by lunch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Usman Khawaja was not out 38 and Marnus Labuschagne on 12 after the spin of Ravindra Jadeja accounted for the 19-year-old.

The five-match series is locked at 1-1 after India won by 295 runs in Perth before being crushed by 10 wickets at Adelaide. The rain-affected third Test in Brisbane was drawn.

All eyes were on Konstas after he was called up in place of the axed Nathan McSweeney.

Australia's youngest-ever opener opted to face the first over from a menacing Jasprit Bumrah and survived despite the Indian spearhead repeatedly beating the bat.

But he kept his focus and scored his first Test runs in Bumrah's next over with a gentle flick through backward square leg.

Konstas said before the match he had a plan to combat Bumrah and, as he got his eye in, he incredibly reverse ramped him for two fours and a six in one over, bringing the crowd alive.

A frustrated Virat Kohli forcefully bumped shoulders with him at one point and they exchanged words, but the teenager was unphased and slammed 18 off the next Bumrah over, including another six.

His half-century came off just 52 balls with two from Mohammed Siraj -- the third-fastest on debut for Australia.

At the other end Khawaja, twice the age of his opening partner, was content to be the support act, grinding his way to 38 off 73 balls.

Konstas was finally undone by Jadeja, trapped lbw to end a memorable innings, with the teenager getting a standing ovation after his 65-ball knock.

Australia made two changes for the match, with seamer Scott Boland also in for the injured Josh Hazlewood, while India dropped number three Shubman Gill in favour of Washington Sundar as a second spin option.

O.Salim--SF-PST