Gift of the Gabba
1 min read 19 Jan 2021, 09:51 PM ISTOur big victory at Gabba made history. It was the first loss in 32 years for the Aussies in their Brisbane stronghold. Youngsters like Rishabh Pant and debutant pacer Mohammed Siraj didn’t let us rue the absence of top bowlers and key all-rounders. Who knew we had such gifted cricketers awaiting discovery?
PremiumDoggedness. This, in a word, is what characterized the Indian cricket team’s quest for victory against Australia. And it paid rich dividends in the form of a Test series win on Tuesday that was truly remarkable in many ways. For one, we had to overcome a demoralizing defeat in the series’ opening tie, which recorded our team’s lowest innings total ever of 36 all-out and barely lasted three days. Our bounce-back to clinch the series by two wins to one is the stuff that fantasies are made of. The Adelaide humiliation was avenged in Melbourne, thanks to skipper Ajinkya Rahane’s gritty century and calm stewardship. And spinner R. Ashwin and batsman Hanuma Vihari snatched a draw in Sydney.
But our big victory at Gabba made history. It was the first loss in 32 years for the Aussies in their Brisbane stronghold. The odds were stacked against India. Our top bowlers and key all-rounders were injured and regular captain Virat Kohli was on paternity leave. But youngsters like Rishabh Pant, with his scintillating strokeplay, and debutant pacer Mohammed Siraj, who claimed 13 scalps, didn’t let us rue their absence. Who knew we had such gifted cricketers awaiting discovery?
