India defeats Australia in fourth Test to retain Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Rishabh Pant unleashed a Twenty20-style batting assault to fire India to an incredible three-wicket win in the fourth Test decider on Tuesday as Ajinkya Rahane’s injury-ravaged tourists humbled Australia with a 2-1 series triumph.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant swung for the fences in an extraordinary 89 in 138 balls as India galloped to a record 328-run chase at the Gabba, becoming the first team since the West Indies in 1988 to beat Australia at their Brisbane stronghold.
WHAT A WIN!!! Yessssss. To everyone who doubted us after Adelaide, stand up and take notice. Exemplary performance but the grit and determination was the standout for us the whole way. Well done to all the boys and the management. Enjoy this historic feat lads. Cheers 👏🏼🇮🇳 @BCCI pic.twitter.com/CgWElgOOO1
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 19, 2021
With regular captain Virat Kohli back home, and deploying an attack of raw recruits in Queensland, India mowed down 145 runs after tea to claim the win when Pant smashed Josh Hazlewood to the long-off fence for four with 18 balls to spare.
“This is one of the biggest moments of my life now, and I’m happy that all the support staff and all my team mates supported me even when I wasn’t playing,” lefthander Pant said after being named Man of the Match.
Just a remarkable win…To go to Australia and win a test series in this way ..will be remembered in the history of indian cricket forever ..Bcci announces a 5 cr bonus for the team ..The value of this win is beyond any number ..well done to every member of the touring party..
— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) January 19, 2021
“It’s been a dream series. It was a fifth-day pitch and the ball was turning a bit. I thought I have to be disciplined with my shot selection.
Pant’s stellar innings was only one of a slew of heroic efforts by the Indian side, with opener Subman Gill (91) and a battered Cheteshwar Pujara (56) helping them mow down the total with defiant half-centuries.
India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, two years after beating Australia in the 2018-19 series Down Under.
EVERY SESSION WE DISCOVERED A NEW HERO.
Every time we got hit, we stayed put & stood taller. We pushed boundaries of belief to play fearless but not careless cricket. Injuries & uncertainties were countered with poise & confidence. One of the greatest series wins!
Congrats India. pic.twitter.com/ZtCChUURLV— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 19, 2021
This victory, however, was a greater achievement by far as the previous series saw Australia deprived of top batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner due to a ball-tampering scandal.
The jubilant scenes at the Gabba were a far cry from the Adelaide opener when India were bowled out for 36 and suffered a thrashing in three days.
Yet they rallied superbly to win in Melbourne and held Australia to a brave draw in the third Test in Sydney.
Australia battled hard to claim late wickets on day five in Brisbane but questions will be asked about Tim Paine’s captaincy, with the home side proving incapable of bowling India out on the fifth day for a second successive Test.
“Absolutely disappointed,” Paine said.
“We came here to win the test and the series, it’s been a bit of a trend that we were found wanting in the key moments and completely outplayed by a tough Indian side that fully deserves the win.”
Australia paceman Pat Cummins was named Player of the Series in a losing cause after taking 21 wickets.
“Good hard day of Test cricket today, I thought Rishabh and the whole Indian side played fantastically, took the game on and deserved the win,” he said.
“I would have liked the cracks to play a few more tricks, but it was a pretty good wicket.”
High injury toll
India started the morning on four for no loss after bowling Australia out for 294 just before rain stopped play late on the fourth day.
Australia’s hopes of a series-clinching victory were raised early when Cummins drew Rohit Sharma forward to a ball that caught the outside edge, Paine taking a fine diving catch in front of first slip.
But the wickets were few and far between and at tea both teams still had a chance at winning.
But as India have shown since their disastrous capitulation in the first Test in Adelaide, when they were bowled out for 36, they were never out of the contest.
India fought back to claim the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and batted through the final day in Sydney to secure a draw in the third Test.
Their effort in the fourth Test is even more admirable considering the high injury toll on tour.
India’s bowling attack was led by Mohammad Siraj, who debuted in Melbourne, supported by Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan and Washington Sundar, who had two Tests between them heading into Brisbane.
They were also missing captain Virat Kohli, who went home after the first Test to be with his wife for the birth of his first child.
The tourists were without the services of front-line seamers Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav and Japrit Bumrah and regular spin bowlers Ravi Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin.
