Australia vs India, 2020-21: 4th Test - Who Said What

After India was bowled out for 36 runs, no one would have expected the Indian team to turn out and defeat the Australians. To top that off, India kept on losing players after each and every match. But, then there was Melbourne. India made a stunning comeback to beat Australia by eight wickets in a comprehensive manner. Then there was Sydney. India fought and fought and managed to sneak a draw in. But, the toughest was going to be Brisbane. 

India went into this Test with practical no experienced bowlers and a middle-order which had players batting out of their favoured positions. But the team fought hard for five days and achieved something incredible. Quipped with some fine batting performances by Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant on the final day, India did what no team had done in 32 years at the Gabba, beat Australia in a Test. With this win, India won the series 2-1, their successive series win in Australia. 

Shubman Gill and Pujara set up India’s historic win

India started the day with an uphill task of chasing 328 runs in the fourth innings. The visitors were put on the backfoot as Rohit Sharma got out early. After that, it was Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara’s partnership which kept Indians in the game. While Gill was playing his free-flowing shots, Pujara was tiring the Aussie bowlers with his solid defence.

Gill scored his second fifty and was marching quite nicely towards his maiden Test century. However, the nervousness of the 90s got the better of the young batsman as he edged one to slips and got out for 91. India’s no.3 kept his solid defence and tried to bat as long as possible. Ajinkya Rahane tried to up the scoring but it cost him his wicket. 

The innings to savour for Rishabh Pant

After Rahane’s wicket, Rishabh Pant walked out to bat. Initially, he was being sensible as a partnership started building between him and Pujara. At this moment, India started hoping for a win. Runs were coming swiftly and it was all about composure. But, Pujara’s dismissal for 56 put India on a backfoot. Australians would have hoped for making inroads with the new ball, but that fresh new ball worked in India’s favour. Runs started coming quickly as India moved closer and closer to the total. 

Even after Mayank Agarwal’s wicket, Pant batting beautifully, with Washington Sundar to help India get to the total. With every over as India moved closer to making history, the Australian team started to look deflated. Pant eventually scored the winning runs as India became the first team to beat Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane in 32 years. Pant stayed unbeaten on 89 runs as India won the series 2-1. 

Rishabh Pant, the player of the match, said

This one of my biggest days in life. The support the team has given me even when I was not playing has been incredible. It’s a dream come true. We’ve been practising hard after the first Test. The team management always backs me and tells me you are match-winner and you have to go out there and win and I am happy I did it today. It was a fifth-day pitch and the ball was turning.

Pat Cummins, the player of the series, said

Good hard day of Test cricket today. Rishabh and the rest of India took the game on and deserved to win. I wanted the cracks to do a bit more. If we bowled well I think we could have picked up wickets. In Sydney the game was there to win on Day 5, we just didn’t go for it, so yes, overall, quite happy.

Tim Paine, the captain of the Australian team, said

We were here to win the series, but we have just been outplayed by a disciplined and tough Indian side who fully deserve the series win. We have to look back over a lot of things, and we’ll go through it as a group, and we have been outplayed by a better side this series. There are many areas of improvement honestly. We wanted to set a bit over 300, and dangle a carrot for them to win the series. I thought India turned up today, wore balls on the head arm and chest, put their body in the line, so credit to them, they deserve the win. Keeping is a part of my job, and I have to get them right. Our bowlers did really well as well, it’s just credit to the Indian side for this terrific series.

The winning captain Ajinkya Rahane said

It means a lot to us. I don’t know how to describe this, but our boys showed a lot of character and determination after the Adelaide Test. I’m really proud of each individual. The conversation between Pujara and me was that he would bat normal, and I would take it on. It was all about intent. Credit to Pujara, the way he handled the pressure was magnificent. Rishabh and Washington were very good at the end. Taking 20 wickets was the key, so we opted for 5 bowlers. Sundar brought the balance in place of Jadeja. The intention was clear to play five bowlers. Siraj played two Tests, Saini just one, so it was inexperienced but the character shown by the bowlers and everyone else was incredible. We didn’t discuss anything about Adelaide. Just played wanted to play the remaining games with good attitude and character without worrying about the result.