3 things from Gabba 2021 win that India need to replicate in BGT 2024-25 3rd Test
Team India will take on Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane from Saturday, December 14, in the third Test of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The visitors began the series with a memorable 295-run triumph in the first Test in Perth. Australia, however, fought back with an equally impressive 10-wicket win in the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval.
With the series level at 1-1, both India and Australia will be keen to take the 2-1 lead in the series. Any team that loses the third Test in Brisbane will find it extremely difficult to make a comeback in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as they will then need to win two matches in a row to clinch the series.
India will take heart from the fact that they registered a historic win at The Gabba during their last tour Down Under. With a famous three-wicket triumph, they not only breached Australia's fortress but also clinched the four-match series 2-1. As the teams prepare for the latest battle in Brisbane, here are three things from the Gabba 2021 win that India need to replicate in the BGT 2024-25 third Test.
#1 Score enough runs in the first innings to stay alive in the contest
Batting has been India's Achilles' heel in the ongoing Test series against Australia. Barring the second innings in Perth, where they scored 487-6 declared, India have been abysmal with the willow in hand. They were all-out for 150 in the first innings in Perth and registered scores of 180 & 175 in Adelaide.
In the third Test at The Gabba, India need to ensure that they score enough runs to stay in the match. They cannot afford batting collapses like the first two Tests. If they bat first, they need to score at least 330 runs and if they bat second, they need to either get a first-innings lead or ensure that they come as close as possible to Australia's total.
In the 2021 Gabba Test, the Aussies batted first and posted 369. India overcame a batting collapse to respond with 336. With the total, they ensured that they were very much in the contest heading into the second innings of the match.
#2 Bowlers need to constantly keep chipping away at the wickets at The Gabba
India were brilliant in the first Test in Perth as they knocked over the Aussies for 104 after being bowled out for 150. In the second innings as well, India's bowlers were impressive and restricted them to 238. At Adelaide, though, the visitors failed to keep Australia in check as Travis Head scored a hundred, while Marnus Labuschagne compiled a determined 64.
What India did exceedingly well in the 2021 Test at The Gabba was to ensure they kept chipping away at the wickets. At 311-5, Australia were well-placed to post a 400-plus total in the first innings. The visitors, however, held them to 369, which proved crucial in the end.
In the second innings, the Aussies got off to an excellent start as their openers added 89 runs. However, India's bowlers fought back exceedingly well to restrict the hosts to 294. The visitors eventually chased down a target of 328 to win the Test. The target could have been out of reach for India have they allowed Australia to flourish in either of the two innings at The Gabba.
#3 A couple of players need to come up with special performances
Cricket is a team game no doubt, but it often needs some individual magic to lift a team to glory. This is what happened when India took on Australia in the 2021 Test at The Gabba. There were a number of memorable performances in the match as the likes of Washington Sundar and Mohammed Siraj stood up to the challenge. However, Rishabh Pant and Shardul Thakur were exceptional in the game.
Thakur picked up three crucial wickets in the first innings. With the bat, he scored a hard-fought 67 in the first innings, adding 123 for the seventh wicket with Sundar after the visitors had crumbled to 186-6. The all-rounder then claimed four scalps in the second innings to keep India's hopes of a famous win alive.
In the chase of 328 at The Gabba in 2021, Shubman Gill's 91 laid a solid platform for India to build on. Cheteshwar Pujara chipped in with another staunch half-century. However, Australia kept chipping away at the wickets and it needed a sensational 89* from Pant to lift India to a victory for the ages.
Undoubtedly, the Aussies will put India under pressure at various stages in the upcoming Test in Brisbane as well. The visitors will need some special performances once again to lift them and transfer the pressure back on the hosts.