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Usman Khawaja made a welcome return to form with his first Test 50 since January after new opening partner Sam Konstas drove India to distraction.

The real beauty of Sam Konstas' outrageous ramp shots was their knock-on effect.

The Australian teenager's dream Test debut on Boxing Day drove India to distraction and gave his team the early edge in their must-win Test, with the Border-Gavaskar series tied at one-all.

Meanwhile, up the other end, fellow opener Usman Khawaja had the best seat in the packed MCG house.

No wonder Khawaja played genial peacekeeper, putting his arm around Virat Kohli after the fiery star bumped shoulders mid-pitch with Konstas.

As Konstas occupied India's attention, Khawaja was left to quietly play himself back into form.

With a minimum of fuss and few half-shots, Khawaja brought up his first Test half-century since January this year.

Khawaja's one truly bad shot was his downfall - a pull shot off a middling Jasprit Bumrah delivery that went straight to a grateful Lokesh Rahul at mid-wicket.

Otherwise it had been the ying to Konstas' yang - an invaluable knock that was exactly what Khawaja and Australia needed.

Before Boxing Day, Khawaja's top score in this series had been 21 and Australia's highest opening stand had similarly been a meagre 31.

Nathan McSweeney paid the price, making way for Konstas, but there was growing noise around Khawaja's form.

Once Konstas and Khawaja survived some initial scares against Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, the teenager went to town and the veteran went to work.

They put on an opening stand of 89 before Konstas departed for 60 off just 65 balls and Khawaja went on to make 57 from 121 deliveries, with six fours.

As the numbers suggest, his knock had none of the Konstas fireworks. But it was every bit as important.