Brisbane Test: What makes India’s win against Australia in Gabba iconic?

It was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride for the Indian men’s cricket team as they toured Australia. Some of the team’s deepest weaknesses were highlighted throughout the series but what makes this team iconic is that despite all those vulnerable points, the young team ended it with a glorious win. 

The team lead by Ajinkya Rahane exhibited brilliant team work on the field as they became the first ones to have beaten Australia at Gabba in Brisbane in 31 years. The Gabba test was the real test for Indians because the history and figures were all in favour of Australia. 

Before Tuesday, any time players or even the fans had to take inspiration for a win in a test series, they would go back to 2001.This was the year when Saurav Ganguly lead team did a miraclein the Eden gardens and beat Australia in the same tournament–Border-Gavaskar trophy. Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman’s name was written in golden ink in the book of cricket since that day.  

Switch to 2021, a young Indian team that saw everything going against it, did something as big or if it is to be measured on intensity then may be even bigger. The final test in Brisbane saw Rishabh Pant in his best efforts with an unbeaten 89. The harsh sun in Brisbane usually is responsible for batters giving an easy out to the bowlers but Pant, it did not even bother him.  

“The only thing I keep on thinking every day is that I want to win matches for India,” said Pant. Many felt that during the duration of the Gabba test, Pant matured and fulfilled the gap that was haunting the team for a long time. Former English cricketer, Kevin Peiterson nicely summed up the situation saying that Pant transformed into a man from a boy during the series.  

The decider match started with Rohit Sharma departing early for merely seven runs, which saw Shubham Gill take the charge. Gill along with Cheteshwar Pujara brought a total 83 for one on board. Gill went onto score big by adding 91 to the total score. The Indian side was chasing 324, a tough target given the Australian side and intensity of the ground. 

With the fall of a wicket, Wicket-keeper batsman Pant entered ahead of Mayank Agrawal and partnered with Pujara and attacked Nathan Lyon and Starc. Pant’s effort in this match will never be forgotten by those who questioned the youngster. 

The match concluded with Washington Sundar playing his part to fulfill the gap of 49 runs from 42 balls to spare. He smashed 22 of 29 balls  and then Sundar along with Pant partnered to create history. 

This win became even more iconic given the fact that many of the best players from the Indian side did not play the series or at least the last match. India’s best bowling bet Jasprit Bumrah, Indian skipper Virat Kohli and the most reliable all-rounder of the Ravindra Jadega were absent from the scene. 

Even with the experience missing from the team, the players understood the importance of the match and were at their best throughout the game. But as for the test series, it was definitely not an easy path. Starting with the Adelaide test, Indian side lost the match and many of cricket experts lost all hopes on the team. But the team compensated for the loss with a win in Melbourne. 

In the third test, it was a draw between the two teams but the skillful presentation of cricket put up by the indian side was the start of something big–the fourth test. By this time, the team knew that all odds were against it and it had no choice left but to perform. 

The Indian cricket team was flooded with congratulatory posts on social media and Virat Kohli was one of the first ones to acknowledge their win. 

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tandular also took to twitter to take a subtle dig at the third test match against Australia. He said, “For all of us in India & across the world, if you ever score 36 or lesser in life, remember: it isn’t the end of the world. The spring stretches backward only to propel you forward. And once you succeed, don’t forget to celebrate with those who stood by you when the world wrote you off.”