India 2021 or West Indies 2024 - Which win at The Gabba was better?
The West Indies won their first Test on Australian soil in almost 30 years as Shamar Joseph bowled his side to a famous eight-run victory at The Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday, January 28.
After the incredible win, which saw the Men from the Caribbean level the two-match series 1-1, comparisons were inevitably drawn to Team India's memorable Gabba triumph back in 2021.
On that occasion, India chased down a 328-run target in the fourth innings with three wickets to spare. With the victory, they also sealed the four-match series with a 2-1 margin.
In this article, we attempt to compare the two historic wins at The Gabba and try to ascertain which one was better.
India's win: Fortress Gabba breached for the first time, without the biggest names, while chasing
The major factors in favor of India's win being the better one are easy to see.
Firstly, the visitors batted in the fourth innings, which is arguably the most challenging proposition in Test cricket. They also had to chase down well over 300, a feat rarely achieved in the format. In contrast, the Windies were bowling last and didn't have as much pressure on their shoulders.
Moreover, India were without some of their biggest match-winners in Test cricket. Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah were among those who didn't feature in the historic encounter.
In 2021, before India breached the Gabba fortress, no visiting team had won a Test at the venue since 1988. The Aussies had gone 31 Tests unbeaten in Brisbane, which meant that a serious precedent was set when they were toppled.
That doesn't make the West Indies' achievement much less special, but it's arguable that The Gabba didn't have the same aura of invincibility around it by the time they managed to replicate India's feat.
West Indies' win: Inexperienced visitors hand Aussies first-ever pink-ball loss
The West Indies, meanwhile, had to contend with several player absentees due to various reasons. And while they may not have been out-and-out match-winners and Test regulars, like the ones who were missing from the Indian team, they would've certainly added value.
To put that into perspective, many of the Windies' playing XI had barely any Test experience. Shamar Joseph, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves and Kevin Sinclair were among those to make their debuts against Australia, and only eight players in the entire squad had Test experience ahead of the tour. Almost the entire batting lineup was relatively new to the Test arena.
And objectively speaking, even though India had a second-string lineup, they clearly had a better team than the Windies. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were well-established Test players, and Rishabh Pant and the young brigade were obviously teeming with talent.
Australia, meanwhile, are arguably a better team now than they were in 2021. With a World Test Championship trophy in their cabinet, the Kangaroos are now filled with quality in the batting department, having cleared out the likes of Marcus Harris, Matthew Wade and Tim Paine, who played in India's Gabba win. Their bowling attack, meanwhile, is just as strong today.
The Windies had to really dig deep to come out on top. They were a bowler down until Shamar Joseph miraculously re-entered the fray, and they were also up against an opposition that had never lost a pink-ball Test before.
India had already won a Test in Melbourne and drawn one in Sydney heading into the Gabba Test, so they had some momentum in their favor despite the Adelaide debacle. The West Indies, meanwhile, had virtually no history backing them, recent or distant.
Verdict: West Indies' win might just rank higher, but not by much
All things considered, it's arguable that the West Indies' win was a more improbable result, even though that shouldn't diminish India's efforts in any way. The Men in Maroon had to really punch above their weight, and apart from the strength of their squad, there were several other factors that worked against them.
It's by the barest of margins, but the Windies' Gabba win might just rank higher than India's.