5 important stats from the Indian cricket team's 3-wicket win at The Gabba
The Indian cricket team recorded its second consecutive Test series win in Australia, beating the hosts 2-1. The visitors only needed to draw the Brisbane Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Ajinkya Rahane-led side tormented Tim Paine and Co. to record a famous win at The Gabba.
The Indian cricket team did not start as the favorite to win the fourth Test match. India had lost their SCG heroes Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari, while Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah were also down with injuries. Hence, T Natarajan and Washington Sundar got their maiden Test caps. Opener Mayank Agarwal had to bat in the middle-order, and Shardul Thakur got an opportunity to play his maiden overseas Test.
The inexperienced Indian team created several records during this historic victory in Brisbane. Here are the five significant statistics you need to know from India's 3-wicket win at The Gabba.
#5 Indian cricket team's maiden Test win at The Gabba
The Indian cricket team had never won a Test match at The Gabba before. They had played six games on this ground, losing five of them. The Brisbane Test of the 2003-04 series did not produce a winner.
In the just-concluded Test match, Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar's half-centuries prevented Australia from taking a considerable first-innings lead. The Indian team ensured that Marnus Labuschagne's century and Josh Hazlewood's five-wicket haul went in vain.
Mohammed Siraj then scalped five wickets in the second innings as India were set a 328-run target to win the Test. Rishabh Pant, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Shubman Gill hit a half-century each to guide the Indian cricket team to its first win at The Gabba.
#4 Australia's first defeat at The Gabba since 1988
The Gabba has been the Australian cricket team's fortress in Test cricket. The Aussies had not lost a single Test on this ground in this century. The West Indies cricket team was the last to beat the hosts in Brisbane.
The Caribbean side grabbed the win by nine wickets in the 1988 Brisbane Test. After that, almost every Test-playing nation, who faced Australia at The Gabba, either suffered a loss or drew the game.
The Aussies were on a 7-match winning streak at The Gabba heading into this Test against the Indian cricket team. Their streak has ended with the loss to India.
#3 Indian cricket team completes a hat-trick of Border-Gavaskar Trophy wins
The first Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between the Indian cricket team and Australia happened in 1996. Neither India nor Australia could win it three consecutive times before the latest series.
With the win in Brisbane, the Indian cricket team has now achieved a unique hat-trick. They had defeated the Aussies in India in 2017 and have now won the last two series Down Under.
Thus, Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli have accomplished a remarkable feat as the India captains.
#2 Rishabh Pant becomes the first Indian wicket-keeper with three 50+ scores in Tests Down Under
Rishabh Pant cemented his place in the Indian Test team with his magnificent performances in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. During the previous Australian tour, Pant had scored a memorable ton at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
In this series, he scored a match-saving 97 in the third Test at SCG. Pant followed that up with an unbeaten 89* at The Gabba, which helped the Indian cricket team register a historic victory.
Thus, Rishabh Pant has become the only Indian wicket-keeper with three 50+ scores in Test matches on Australian soil.
#1 Cheteshwar Pujara becomes the first Indian batsman to face 200+ balls in Australia in more than five innings
Cheteshwar Pujara was one of the few Indian players who featured in the playing XI in all four games. Pujara batted like a wall at number 3 for the Indian cricket team as he frustrated the Aussies with his defensive skills.
In the Brisbane Test, Pujara played a patient 211-ball 56 in the fourth innings. His knock allowed Rishabh Pant, Ajinkya Rahane, and Shubman Gill to attack the Aussies from the other end.
This knock marked the sixth occasion when Pujara batted for over 200 deliveries in a single inning against Australia Down Under. Virat Kohli has achieved this feat five times, but no other batsman except Pujara has done this more than five times.