Reliving the 5 best moments from India's Gabba 2021 win
It's been three years since Team India rewrote their name in the cricketing annals after their iconic Test match victory against Australia at the Gabba during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21.
On a sun-drenched January 17, 2021, the impossible turned into a reality. The Gabba, Australia's impregnable fortress for 32 years, crumbled under the relentless onslaught of Indian grit and brilliance.
Despite battling through several injuries and some strict quarantine rules, India put up a commendable display of performance with both bat and ball. They stunned the mighty Australian unit and handed them a Test series loss with a 2-1 scoreline.
Australia posted 369 runs in the first innings after winning the toss and deciding to bat first, with Marnus Labuschagne scoring a century. India somehow managed to reach close to the first-innings score and made 336 before getting bowled out.
With a slim 33-run first-inning lead, the hosts added 294 and handed India a steep target of 328 to win in the fourth innings. Three Indian batters stepped up to the task and scored fifties to conquer Australia in their own backyard.
On the third-year anniversary of India's stupendous win at the Gabba, let's relive five of the best moments from the historic Test match.
#5 T Natarajan's important twin strikes on Day 1
T Natarajan's only red-ball appearance was in the famous Gabba Test and the left-arm pacer certainly did his part for India.
After India removed both the Aussie openers cheaply, Labuschagne entered the crease and looked comfortable. Steve Smith also smashed a few boundaries but was also dismissed and Australia were 87/3 in 34.1 overs.
Matthew Wade joined Labuschagne in the middle and the two started to stitch together a partnership. They both hit some authoritative strokes and took Australia to 200/3. At one point in time, Australia threatened to easily touch the 400-run mark.
In the third session, however, T Natarajan bowled an inspired spell and brought India back into the game. He continuously bowled the hard length at Wade, who eventually fell prey for 45.
In his very next over, Natarajan handed a body blow to Australia and sent back Labuschagne, who scored 108 runs. It was another short delivery and Labuschagne handed one to wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant.
Natarajan's twin strikes were of huge importance as it helped India restrict Australia under 400.
#4 Mohammed Siraj's fifer
Siraj, who made his Test debut in the Melbourne Test earlier in the series, found himself suddenly in charge of the Indian attack in Brisbane. With no Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami or Ishant Sharma available, Siraj spearheaded the Indian pace unit.
In the first innings, he took only one wicket but saved his best for the second essay. The Hyderabadi-born pacer came up with a terrific spell to claim 5/73 in 19.5 overs, giving an early indication of his talent at the top level.
Siraj bowled with pace and got the ball to bounce awkwardly, giving Australia a dose of their own medicine. The right-arm pacer dismissed Labuschagne, Wade, and Smith to leave the Aussies in trouble.
He completed his five-wicket haul by removing Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc at the end and helped India bundle Australia for 294.
#3 A match-changing partnership between Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar
Indian bowlers performed admirably to limit Australia to less than 400 in the opening innings at the Gabba. But with the bat, it appeared to be the same old story as the visitors found themselves six down for 186.
Then two unlikely heroes in Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur joined forces and bailed the visitors out of trouble. Their iconic stand for the seventh wicket was a turning point in the match that left the Aussie completely clueless.
The partnership not only instilled hope in the Indian team but also played a pivotal role in setting up the platform for a historic triumph.
Both players displayed remarkable resilience and confidence, with Thakur's flamboyance and Sundar's nerveless strokeplay being the highlights of their partnership. Both the all-rounders smashed a combined 16 fours and three maximums to add 123 runs in 216 balls. While Thakur made 67 in 115 balls, Sundar played elegantly for his 62.
#2 A partnership of contrasting style between Gill and Pujara
Chasing 328 runs to win the Gabba Test against all odds, India lost the big wicket of Rohit Sharma early on Day 5. It was the perfect start for Australia, and they had their tails up.
But it wasn't to be, as the combination of a vibrant Shubman Gill and a veteran Cheteshwar Pujara got hold of the situation. Despite being extremely contrasting in their approaches, both Gill and Pujara frustrated the Aussie bowlers and kept India in the hunt.
While Gill played some gorgeous strokes on the up and on the backfoot, Pujara was dogged. The No. 3 batter took blows to his body several times but held his fort quite phenomenally.
Gill's attacking approach put the Australian bowlers under pressure, while Pujara's solid defence and resilience provided stability to the innings. Unfortunately for Gill, he missed out on a well-deserved hundred and was caught on 91.
Gill's dismissal ended the partnership between the two, who stitched together 114 runs for the second wicket. Pujara continued his vigil after Gill and batted for 211 balls (the most by any batter in the Test match) for his 56.
The century stand between Gill and Pujara laid a perfect platform for the Indian middle-order and lower-order batters to pounce on.
#1 Rishabh Pant's heroics in the second innings
The poster boy of India's iconic triumph, Rishabh Pant, hit the winning runs by crunching Josh Hazlewood over long-off for a four.
Despite getting dropped for the first Test in Adelaide, Pant ended up being the highest run-getter of the series for India with 274 runs at an immaculate average of 68.50.
When Pant came out to bat, India were placed at 167/3. He immediately got going, hitting some awesome boundaries. The southpaw placed the Australians under duress and made it apparent that the visitors would not be playing for a draw.
Despite losing Ajinkya Rahane (24) and Mayank Agarwal (9) to low scores, Pant held the hopes of every Indian fan. His strokeplay always kept India's run rate in check, notwithstanding a tricky pitch in Brisbane.
Putting up a crucial 53-run partnership with Sundar, Pant walloped his way closer to the target. His sheer bravery to smoke Nathan Lyon for lofted strokes despite the ball turning square says a lot about his lionhearted character.
Pant remained unbeaten at 89 off 138 balls and took his team to arguably one of the best Test wins in their 92-year-long history.