Setting the Stage: The Pre-Gabba Chaos
I still remember the sinking feeling in my stomach when India collapsed for just 36 at Adelaide. Thirty-six. It wasn’t just a defeat; it was a public disintegration of our batting lineup. Never had I seen India crumble so dramatically, and honestly, it shook my confidence. As a fan, you always believe in a comeback, but this felt different. Australia smelled blood, the critics sharpened their knives, and social media wrote us off.
To make things worse, Virat Kohli flew back home on paternity leave, leaving behind a team that looked beaten in every sense. With our best batsman gone and the humiliating loss fresh in everyone’s mind, the general mood was one of damage control. People weren’t even discussing winning the series anymore, they were just hoping we’d avoid another embarrassment.
But then came Melbourne, and with it, came Ajinkya Rahane’s calm leadership. That Test changed everything. Rahane’s century wasn’t just about runs; it was about character, composure, and resilience. Bowlers like Bumrah, Ashwin, and Siraj stepped up, and suddenly, the team showed a spark I didn’t expect so soon. We levelled the series 1–1, and from that moment, I began to hope again.
But cricket had more twists in store. At Sydney, we didn’t win, but what we did was perhaps more heroic. I’ll never forget Ashwin and Vihari batting through pain, one with a torn hamstring, the other with a sore back for nearly three hours to save the Test. That draw felt like a win. It wasn’t about skill anymore; it was about heart.
And just when you thought we’d seen the worst, the injury list kept growing. By the time we reached Brisbane, this team wasn’t even close to full strength:
- No Kohli
- No Bumrah
- No Ashwin
- No Jadeja
- No Shami
- No Umesh
- Even KL Rahul had returned home injured
Our bowling attack at Gabba? Siraj (2 Tests old), Natarajan (debut), Navdeep Saini (debut), Shardul Thakur (played just 10 balls in his only Test), and Washington Sundar (also debut). I mean, be honest even we fans didn’t know what to expect. We were going up against a full-strength Australian side at their fortress, where they hadn’t lost a Test in 32 years.
But something about this young, fearless, patched-up Indian team gave me hope. They had no baggage. No fear. Only belief.
And that belief would soon shake the very foundations of the so-called “Fortress Gabba.”
The Context of Gabba
When we talk about Australian dominance in Test cricket, there’s one word that has always stood tall “Gabba”.
The Brisbane Cricket Ground, better known as the Gabba, isn’t just a venue. It’s a fortress. A graveyard for visiting teams. Before that final Test in January 2021, Australia hadn’t lost a Test at the Gabba since 1988. That’s over 32 years. More than three decades of supremacy, intimidation, and invincibility. Teams from around the world came and left bruised; mentally, physically, and statistically.
So, when the series was tied at 1–1 and it was announced that the decider would be at the Gabba, every Australian expert grinned. “This is where India breaks,” they said. I could feel it too, how the odds were tilted. The narrative was all set: Gabba would be the final nail. A second-string Indian team wouldn’t stand a chance in Brisbane.
And honestly, just look at our playing XI, it looked more like an IPL scouting squad than a Test team:
- Mohammed Siraj: making only his third Test appearance
- T. Natarajan: playing his debut Test
- Shardul Thakur: his second Test, with just 10 balls bowled in the first
- Washington Sundar: also, on debut
- Navdeep Saini: injured mid-Test
- Shubman Gill: third test match of his career
- Rishabh Pant: yet to fully win over his critics
- Mayank Agarwal: pushed down the order
- Rohit and Pujara: was only someone to rely on
- Ajinkya Rahane: still silent, but leading with steel
Our bowlers had a combined experience of just 4 Tests. Australia’s, on the other hand, had over 200+ wickets between Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, and Lyon.
As a fan, I was torn. The emotional part of me believed. This team had fought at Melbourne. It had survived at Sydney. But the realist in me was worried no senior bowlers, a patched-up XI, and the weight of history? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.
Australia, meanwhile, were pumped. David Warner was back, the pitch looked hard and bouncy, and they were confident. The Gabba was their backyard, and they expected India to crumble, just like many teams had done before.
But then again, this wasn’t just any Indian team. This was a group of young men who had been thrown into the fire without warning. And they had the audacity not to flinch.
Siraj had lost his father just before the tour and chose to stay. Natarajan had come to Australia only as a net bowler, now suddenly making his Test debut. Sundar, primarily a white-ball cricketer, was being asked to bowl long spells on a true Test wicket. Gill, Pant, Shardul, all being tested in the harshest conditions in world cricket.
They weren’t supposed to be heroes. But that’s the thing about cricket it doesn’t follow scripts. It rewards belief.
As the first ball was bowled at the Gabba, I didn’t know what would happen. But I knew one thing, this Indian team wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Day-by-Day Breakdown: The Gabba Test, 2021
I had butterflies in my stomach when Tim Paine won the toss and chose to bat. Honestly, I thought Australia would look to score big on that Gabba pitch, especially knowing our bowling attack had barely played a handful of Tests between them.
But right from the start, India showed intent.
Mohammed Siraj, only playing his third Test, bowled with heart. He didn’t have express pace or vast experience, but what he had was purpose. Shardul Thakur, still remembered more for getting injured after 10 balls on debut, returned with a point to prove. And then there was T. Natarajan, who had come to Australia as a net bowler and suddenly found himself playing all three formats on the same tour.
Despite Marnus Labuschagne’s 108, we didn’t allow them to get away. Each time Australia looked to build momentum, we found breakthroughs. Sundar, Shardul and Natarajan picked up three wickets each. Our bowling lineup: Siraj, Shardul, Natarajan, Sundar, Saini had zero Test caps among them before this tour. But they fought like veterans.
Australia was bowled out for 369. Considering the inexperience in our attack, it felt like a win already.
The second day began nervously. Our top-order wobbled. Rohit Sharma got out for 44, throwing his wicket away with a rash shot. Rahane, Pujara, Mayank all failed to convert starts. And soon, we were reeling at 186/6. I feared a 150-run deficit, and with rain around, even a draw looked distant.
But what followed was pure magic.
First, Washington Sundar, the debutant. Then, Shardul Thakur, the comeback man. Together, they stitched a 123-run partnership, the highest 7th-wicket stand for India at the Gabba.
I still remember screaming when Shardul started smashing Starc over midwicket and pulling Cummins like a proper top-order batter. And Sundar calm, composed, technically solid looked like he belonged.
India finished the day at 336 all out, just 33 runs behind. From 186/6 to 336 that fightback was the heartbeat of this Test.
Day three was a grind. Steve Smith scored 55, but India kept picking wickets. Siraj and Thakur led the attack beautifully relentless, aggressive, and unfazed by the pitch or occasion. What moved me most was seeing Siraj take his first-ever five-wicket haul in Tests. He looked up to the sky, tears in his eyes for his father, whom he had lost just weeks before the tour. That image stayed with me.
Australia was bowled out for 294. India needed 328 to win.
The talk among fans was cautious: “Can we save this? Will rain help us out?” A draw was acceptable. A loss, understandable. But somewhere deep down, I had this weird optimism brewing again.
The Final Day
January 19, 2021.
I didn’t know it when I woke up that by the end of that day, I would have tears in my eyes, goosebumps on my skin, and a memory that would never leave my heart.
India needed 324 runs on Day 5 to win the series. The target was steep. The pitch was deteriorating. And let’s be honest, most of us were just hoping for a draw. Save wickets, block deliveries, wait for the rain. That was the logical approach.
But this Indian team? They didn’t care about logic.
The day began with Shubman Gill, a 21-year-old kid playing like a seasoned pro. He wasn’t just surviving; he was dominating. His pull shots off Pat Cummins and Starc were fearless. One short ball after another was dispatched with elegance and confidence. He danced down the track, played his shots freely, and before we knew it, he was nearing a century.
When he got out for 91, I felt a pang of sadness. He deserved that hundred. But what he gave us was much more, a real chance. Suddenly, winning didn’t feel like a fantasy.
At the other end, Cheteshwar Pujara was doing Pujara things absorbing blows, wearing down bowlers, holding the fort. He took bouncer after bouncer on his body. One hit him flush on the helmet, another on the ribs, another on the fingers. But he stood there, eyes calm, bat still. He scored 56 runs off 211 balls, but more than that, he blunted Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood into exhaustion.
I don’t think I’ve ever respected a batter more. Pujara wasn’t just batting, he was guarding our hopes.
When Rahane fell after a quick cameo, and then Mayank Agarwal followed, my heart sank a little. We were 228/5, still needing 100 runs. The draw was still possible, but a collapse now could change everything.
Then came Washington Sundar. A debutant again, walking into a crisis and he hit a reverse sweep for four. I mean, who does that on the fifth day of a Test at the Gabba? The audacity. The belief.
And then, the moment that made me yell at the TV, he smashed Josh Hazlewood for a six over midwicket. My jaw dropped.
But when he and Thakur fell quickly, we were 276/7. Just 52 runs away, but only three wickets in hand.
Through all the tension, collapses, and comebacks, one man kept standing tall, Rishabh Pant.
And as a fan, I don’t think I’ve ever felt such a chaotic blend of fear, thrill, and pride while watching one player.
Pant wasn’t just playing a knock that day. He was owning a moment that few cricketers in history ever get to own. This was a guy who, not too long ago, was written off by many. Questioned for his fitness. Trolled for his shot selection. Benched in favor of others. But at the Gabba, on the final day of the series, with the odds stacked against him, Pant showed the world exactly why he was built for moments like this.
One wicket here or there, and Australia could have closed the door. But Pant didn’t flinch. He didn’t shut shop. He didn’t think “draw.” He thought “win.”
He batted with a rare blend of madness and maturity. He didn’t slog; he calculated. He didn’t throw hands at everything; he picked his moments. He would dance down the pitch to Lyon, drive on the up against Starc, and dab late cuts to third man like he was playing street cricket, not a tense fifth day at the Gabba.
I remember holding my breath every time he stepped out. “No, no, no… YES!”
That was the Pant experience.
He made Test cricket feel like a T20 thriller.
When we needed 50. Then 40. Then 30. Pant kept ticking them off like he was counting down to destiny.
And then, that moment.
Josh Hazlewood steaming in. Pant punches him through the off side. The ball races to the rope.
Game over. History made.
For a second, I couldn’t move.
Had we really…? Did Pant really…?
Because that was the shot that sealed more than just a victory. It sealed Rishabh Pant’s legacy. From “irresponsible” to irreplaceable. From “he needs to grow up” to “he grew us all up in one innings.”
That knock of 89 not out off 138 balls wasn’t just a match-winner. It was a statement.
A statement that this young Indian team led by belief, backed by youth, and carried on Pant’s shoulders, was ready to take on the world.
As a fan, I can’t forget that look on his face after the win. Not cocky, not wild.
Just a wide grin. Pure, innocent, victorious.
Pant wasn’t just the man of the moment.
He became a moment himself.
India had won. At the Gabba. With half a team. In the fourth innings. Against one of the best bowling attacks in the world.
The emotions just spilled over. Siraj crying. Rahane smiling quietly. Pant hugging everyone. Ravi Shastri’s arms in the air. And me? I was wiping my tears, completely overwhelmed.
I had seen something that didn’t feel real. This wasn’t just cricket it was courage, resilience, belief, unity, and magic, all wrapped into one glorious moment.
The Aftermath: What This Win Meant
When Rishabh Pant hit that winning boundary, it was more than just the end of a cricket match. It was the culmination of belief, pain, patience, and a never-say-die spirit. I sat there, staring at the screen, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. What had I just witnessed?
India had chased 328 at the Gabba. With their second-string squad. Against Australia’s full-strength pace battery. At a venue where no team had beaten Australia in 32 years.
And we didn’t just draw the series.
We won it. 2–1. On Australian soil. Again.
Mohammed Siraj, having just taken a five-wicket haul in only his third Test, was in tears. A young man who’d lost his father during the tour, choosing to stay back and fight for India. Ajinkya Rahane, the calm leader, smiled quietly and walked off without a single celebration gesture. No drama just dignity. Pant, the match-winner, was grinning ear to ear. He had taken all the criticism, all the doubts, and turned them into gold. This wasn’t just a Test win. It was redemption, validation, and emotion bundled together.
The cricketing world was stunned; I scrolled through Twitter and saw one emotion everywhere: respect. Aussie legends like Ricky Ponting, Michael Vaughan, and even Justin Langer couldn’t believe it. England fans tipped their hats. Journalists from across the world called it the “Greatest Series Win of All Time.”
Because it wasn’t just about the final day.
It was about what India overcame to get there.
36 all out in Adelaide.
No Kohli. No Bumrah. No Ashwin. No Jadeja.
Injuries. Racial abuse. Quarantine issues.
Still, they stood tall.
Still, they won.
For me, this wasn’t just a sporting win. It was personal. We had grown up fearing Australia. For decades, watching India tour there meant staying up at ungodly hours, hoping for something to cheer. Most times, it ended in heartbreak. But now? Now we were the team that fought harder, that believed longer, that rose from the ashes. This win told me that even when the odds are stacked against you, you can write your own script.
It reminded me why I fell in love with Test cricket.
Why I stayed up all night with a pounding heart.
Why I believed, even when it felt impossible.
This wasn’t just India winning a Test series.
This was India telling the world we don’t surrender. Not anymore.
And at BlueFever, this is exactly the kind of cricket we celebrate. Not just stats. Not just scorecards.
But stories.
Stories of courage, comebacks, and characters who rose when the world expected them to fall.
The Gabba 2021 win wasn’t just a chapter in Indian cricket history. It was a bold brushstroke on the canvas of belief. And that’s what we live for. Moments like these. Moments that remind you why you stayed up all night. Why you screamed, cried, and felt alive.
Why you believed.
Because BlueFever isn’t just about cricket.
It’s about feeling cricket.
Because
#WeCelebrateCricket
Reference:
https://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1464828/–when-you-leave-cricket–you-will-realise-what-you-have-done—inside-india-s-2021-gabba-miracle?source=post_page—–4c863667a13f—————————————
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/pant-gill-and-a-slice-of-heaven-called-gabba-101734015015729.html?source=post_page—–4c863667a13f—————————————
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/19/rishabh-pant-leads-record-breaking-chase-as-india-beat-australia-to-fourth-test-and-series-at-gabba-in-brisbane?source=post_page—–4c863667a13f—————————————
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/19/india-clinch-australia-test-series-with-historic-win-at-gabba?source=post_page—–4c863667a13f—————————————
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/india-in-australia-2020-21-1223867/australia-vs-india-4th-test-1223872/full-scorecard?source=post_page—–4c863667a13f—————————————