"I don't think you realize what you have done" - Rishabh Pant recalls Rohit Sharma's words after India's famous Gabba win in 2021
Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant recalled his conversation with Rohit Sharma on the third anniversary of India's famous win against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane in 2021.
Team India pulled off a miraculous win by chasing 328 on the final day to script one of the most memorable underdog stories in cricket history. Pant was the star with the bat, scoring a scintillating 89* off 138 deliveries against a formidable Aussie attack.
Speaking to Star Sports, Pant recalled not being as excited as the other Indian players, leading to Rohit Sharma's conversation with him.
"I remember what Rohit Sharma said. A lot of people told me special things, but Rohit's words, I remember it well. He was seeing my reaction. Everybody was happy, but he was not seeing me as excited as everyone else. He told me 'I don't think you realise what you have done'," Pant said.
"I told him 'yeah, we won a match, we won a series here for the 2nd time. He told me 'when you quit cricket, you will understand the importance of this innings because you don't know what you have done. Then I realised what I had done," he added.
The victory ended Australia's 32-year unbeaten streak in Tests at the Gabba and helped India win back-to-back Test series Down Under.
Apart from the result, the series is also fondly remembered for India's fortitude to claw their way back. From being bowled out for 36 in the first Test in Adelaide to winning the series 2-1, with several key players missing in the next three games, it will go down in the annals of Indian cricket's history.
"I was conscious about not getting over-excited" - Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant further elaborated on his lack of excitement during and immediately after the Brisbane Test win. He felt being out there in the middle when winning runs were scored humbled him, apart from not being a permanent member of the India side in any of the three formats.
It is worth noting that Pant was not part of the Indian playing XI that suffered a humiliating defeat in the opening Test at Adelaide.
"I didn't know how to react. I was playing in the middle, I was conscious about not getting over-excited. Yes, there was a lot happiness around. It was a very important match for me because I was not playing ODI and T20I. Even in Tests, my place wasn't certain," Rishabh Pant said.
"I was like 'how can this happen?'. I have expectations from myself to do well, to win matches for the team. But I didn't play the first match. It was like 'dream-come-true' to win the match for the team. I wanted that feeling. "I was telling myself this. That was my mindset, I had belief in myself at a time when not many believed in me," he concluded.
Rishabh Pant replaced Wriddhiman Saha in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, and his career in the red-ball format has since taken off. The southpaw played a crucial role in India drawing the third Test in Sydney before pulling off a miracle win in Brisbane.
Overall, Pant was arguably India's most valuable Test batter before his unfortunate injury in December 2022. In his 33-match Test career so far, he has averaged almost 44 with the bat, including five centuries and 11 fifties.