India's Greatest Test Victories: The Gabba comes Crashing

As we look forward to another encounter between these two superpowers, it is important to highlight the events that occurred over 2 years ago; the last time they played each other. Filled with twists and turns, ups and downs; no other series in recent memory provided Indian fans with heartache and drama like this one did. This is India's most significant victory, not for the match itself, but for the events that transpired. 

Picture this. I want you to think vividly about the events that transpire. 

The Test series begins with your team putting up an average position. Not brilliant by any means, but considering the pitch, the total is defendable. Your bowlers then put on a masterclass of swing and spin, routing the team for a paltry sum, 70 runs short of yours. It is a massive lead on a pitch where bowlers run the game. You prepare to bat slow and steady, with around 5 overs left in the day. Nothing crazy occurs save for the loss of an opener, but the day ends on 9/1. Not too bad and certainly better than expected under the circumstances. The next day, however, all the good work is undone. Like a house of cards that breaks down due to the slightest breeze, your team falls over collapsing internally. 9/1 becomes 15/2 and then 15/3, 15/4 and then 15/5. Slowly but steadily, your team lies into an early grave; the innings ends at 36/9. On the world's biggest stage against one of the best teams in the world, you have humiliated yourself. This is your lowest total ever, and after fielding batting legends like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and Virat Kohli, this is your undoing. They need just 90-odd runs to win. You try to fight back, but it is all in vain as they comfortably cruise to their target. Humiliation, embarrassment, and regret flood you as your surroundings and reputation come crashing down.

That is what happened to India on 19th December 2020, when the world collapsed on its shoulders. Effigies were burnt all around the country. Newspaper reports and articles denouncing the cricket team appeared everywhere you went. Twitter was flooded with tweets shaming these players and embarrassing comments directed toward them. According to pundits, ex-cricketers, and commentators, the series was over. India had lost. Surely a team does not recover from such a brutal beating this fast. On top of that, the team had lost its best batsman Virat Kohli (flying back to India for the birth of his daughter), and one of its premium swing bowlers Mohammad Shami (injured in 2nd innings). There was no coming back.

If only they knew how wrong they were. 

The second test in Melbourne can be described as one of India's most resurgent victories. With the bowling mainstays leading from the front, Australia was routed in the first innings for a meager total of 195. Ashwin and Bumrah led from the front, scalping 7 out of the 10 wickets between them. The Australians did not give up. With the experience of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, the bowlers blew open the game to leave India hanging at a precarious 173/5 with only one recognizable batsman left, Captain Ajinkya Rahane. Batting at just under 50 when all-rounder Ravindra walked in, Rahane set out to do what he does best, bat for as long as he can. And they did.

Jadeja and Rahane combined for a 120+ run partnership setting India up for a massive first-innings lead. India ended their innings at 326, head and shoulders above the Aussie total, setting them in the driver's seat for the test. After that, it was easy pickings for the Indian bowlers, as the Australian batsmen crumbled under the onslaught and were knocked over for another subpar total. India chased down its target with 8 wickets to spare, equalling the series at 1-1.

Sydney should go down in history as one of India's most challenging and most resilient matches due to the sheer determination with which the players played. Before the test, Mayank Aggarwal (opener) and Umesh Yadav (Seamer) had been injured, allowing debutant Navdeep Saini to begin the match. The Australian total of 338 immediately put pressure on India to respond well. Unable to do that, the batting came up short, conceding a 90-run lead in the first innings. By Day 4, India was positioned at 98-2, around 300ish runs short of the Australian total with a day left. The match looked all but over, as the swing and bounce in Sydney had proved too much to handle. Add to that a Day 5 pitch; it firmly placed the Aussies in the driver's seat. All that was left to do was go out and finish the job.

Unfortunately for them, it did not happen. On the back of brilliant innings by Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant, the moment after lunch had titled towards India. At 79 overs, India was 250-3 and almost 55 overs were left to play. Could India complete the impossible? Rishabh Pant's downfall mere balls after was followed by Cheteshwar Pujara's ugly hack dispelled that theory. From a commanding position of 250, India was now left hanging at 272-5. Only one pair of batsmen was left at the crease, and only bowlers were to follow. The Australians now believed. It had been over half a decade since they had last put hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and a win in this test would also avenge their embarrassing loss to India almost two years ago. What followed next was something that nobody had ever imagined happening. Instead of an all-out collapse, Ravi Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari braved their injuries and put their bodies on the line, as they batted out 40 long-grueling overs to secure a draw.

The fourth test was being held at GABBA, Brisbane. Often called the "bane of visiting teams", no team had won a match at that ground for over 30 years. For Australia, this was the perfect scenario. It was a fortress, and provided them with the opportunity to win at home and dispel the beasts that had been created the last time India toured them. The Australians had every right to feel confident about winning, especially due to the injuries that had come into play.

By the start of the fourth test, India's lineup had been completely revamped. The lineup saw more than 5 substitutions from the previous tests, leaving India stranded. The new-look bowling lineup consisted of Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Siraj, and T Natarajan. Between them, there were two debutants (Natarajan and Sundar), Shardul Thakur who had only bowled 1.4 overs in his debut test before being injured, and two speedsters who had both debuted in the two tests before this match. Collectively, this was India's most inexperienced bowling lineup since their introduction to test cricket, and the fate of the series depended on them.

The naivety of the attack showed in the first innings, where they were hammered to all parts of the ground by the Australian batting order. Staring a tall first innings target of 369 in the face, the Indian response spluttered throughout the innings to leave them precariously positioned at 186-6. The last true batsman of the team had just walked back to the pavilion. Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar though had other ideas. Blistering half-centuries from both the batsmen upset the rhythm of the bowlers, allowing them both to propel the Indian total across 300. Unfortunately, the stubborn Aussies were not going to give way, and they batted themselves into a surefire position with India requiring over 325 in the last innings. 

The Indians had other plans. Late into day 5, as Rishabh Pant carried a billion hearts on his back, the whole of India watched the game closely. With every run, every fumble, and every miscue India inched closer toward the impossible The fall of wickets on the other end was just an afterthought; as long as Pant was out there, anything was possible. By the start of the 96th over, anything was possible. India was 6 wickets down, and they needed 10 runs to win; more importantly for the Aussies however, was that there were only 3 overs of play left. Maybe they could hold on to a draw. It would still give them comfort knowing they hadn't lost to India in consecutive tours at home. 

So much for that train of thought. 6 balls later, the game was over. Rishabh Pant's lashing off-drive had sealed it. "India win the test. They win the series. And they win the hearts and minds of cricket fans around the world." And all around India, the fans erupted louder than the launch of a missile as a collective cheer was heard around the world. This was it. This was the culmination of revenge that began the moment the 9th wicket fell in the first test in Adelaide as we were embarrassed and humiliated all around the cricketing world.

Just 20 years ago, India had pulled off the most miraculous of comebacks against Australia when they were down 1-0 and trailed by over 200 runs (we will see that match in this mini-series too). History repeated itself and all around India, cheers of joy and happiness erupted. From humiliation to determination, from anguish to joy; the redemption was complete.

As an Indian fan, it's times like these that your voice fails you. From being battered and humiliated at Adelaide to a complete performance in Melbourne and then 42 overs of heavy anguish at Sydney to a strategic rout at GABBA, it was an exceedingly difficult yet fulfilling journey. 

As India takes on Australia at home, it is time for fans to tune in for this exciting series. The match-ups and the strategies are back. Many of the touring squad last played a test in India over 6 years ago. Do they have what it takes to challenge India? Will India finally be defeated at home or will the 9-year winning streak continue? Who knows what this series will provide us with?