Why Gabba 2021 Always Be Special?
The odds were always stacked against India in their tour down under in 2020-21. India suffered a humiliating loss in the opening day-night Test at Adelaide from a position of strength. The whole team was bundled out for 36. Their full-time captain Virat Kohli was set to leave the team after the first Test. Let us look at details on Why Gabba 2021 Always Be Special?
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India lost the services of Mohammad Shami to injury. They were already without Ishant Sharma. The critics had written off the team completely. They predicted India to go down 0-4 in the 4-match Test series.
Lets talk about Why Gabba 2021 Always Be Special?
The tryst at Melbourne and Sydney:
India made four changes to their team in the 2nd Test. They completely outplayed the hosts in Melbourne. Ajinkya Rahane the stand-in skipper scored one of the most famous centuries. It was his knock that propelled the side to victory. Australia dominated the first four days of the third Test. India was expected to cave in on the fifth day.
The team though surprised everyone with their grit. Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Hanuma Vihari all combined to take India to safety. Both teams headed to the Gabba with the scoreline reading 1-1.
India’s injury woes:
Most of India’s first-choice players were either injured or left bruised. But the team remained unbroken. The likes of KL Rahul, Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Vihari, and Jasprit Bumrah all joined the bench. India almost struggled to put a fit XI together for the final Test. The team had a total of 13 wickets among themselves as compared to Australia which had more than 1000 Test wickets between them. But it was this inexperienced bowling lineup that picked 20 Aussie wickets!
Australia’s track record at Gabba:
The Aussies hadn’t lost a single Test at the Gabba since 1989. It was this record that prompted their then captain, Tim Paine to infamously quip see you at the Gabba, Ash. The Aussies simply were not known to lose at the Gabba. They had every reason to believe they had the game in the bag after winning the toss and batting first. The Aussies posted a sizeable total of 369 in the first innings. They had to defend 329 on the final day. It was Australia’s game even during the last day of the tour.
The partnership that nobody saw coming:
India was reeling at 186-6 in the first innings. A huge first innings deficit was looming. It was at this juncture that debutant Washington Sundar and one-Test-old Shardul Thakur joined hands. The pair put on a 123-run partnership to leave the Aussies shellshocked. Both the players smashed stroke-filled fifties to take India’s total to 336. They were just 33 runs away from the Aussies in the first essay.
India script history:
Needing 324 more runs to win on the final day everybody expected India to battle hard for a draw. India though had other plans. Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Washington Sundar all played breezy knocks to keep India ahead in the chase. The veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahane provided able support.
India created history at the Gabba winning not just the series but a billion hearts all over the world. It wasn’t just a victory of skills, it was a victory of human spirit, character, and madness! India’s victory had it all. They conquered the Gabba on this day two years ago!
