On this day in 2021, January 19, 2021, the Indian cricket team made a miracle with one of the greatest Test wins in history by breaching the Gabba fortress to win the historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21. It was Australia’s first Test defeat at the Gabba in 32 years. 

It was the fourth and final Test of the four-match Test series in Australia. While the series was standing at 1-1 before the Gabba Test in Brisbane, the Ajinkya Rahane-led Indian team had some new and irregular faces, which made the hosts undoubted favourites before the beginning of the Test. 

2021 Gabba Test: Injury-marred India were clueless

While the Indian team was already missing their regular captain Virat Kohli after the first Test of the series due to paternity leave, the team missed out on the injured players Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Hanuma Vihari for the Gabba Test. 

The right-arm pacer Mohammed Siraj was leading the Indian bowling line-up in the Gabba Test with only two Test experiences, while Navdeep Saini and Shardul Thakur were playing their second Test. The left-arm pacer T Natarajan and spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar made their Test debuts. Meanwhile, the opener Shubman Gill was playing his third Test.

See Also: Reason behind dropping Mohammed Siraj from ODI squad revealed

2021 Gabba Test (1st innings): Marnus Labuschagne scored century

Australian captain Tim Paine chose to bat first after winning the toss. Although Aussie openers lost their wickets in single digits, Marnus Labuschagne’s (108) century and key middle-order support with a couple of the 40s and the skipper’s 50 runs helped the hosts to score 369 runs. 

Indian pacers T Natarajan (3/78) and Shardul Thakur (3/94) took three wickets each along with the off-spinner Washington Sundar (3/89). 

2021 Gabba Test (2nd innings): Sundar and Thakur scored valuable 60s

India were struggling at 186/6, where the opener Rohit Sharma (44) was the only batter to reach the 40-run mark. However, Washington Sundar (62) and Shardul Thakur (67) rescued the visitors with their 60s as they had a partnership of 123 runs for the seventh wicket. While Josh Hazlewood claimed a fifer (5/57), India ended their first innings with 336 runs. 

2021 Gabba Test (3rd innings): Siraj's fifer and Thakur's 4-fer restricted the hosts

Starting their second innings with a 33-run lead, Australia were bowled out for 294 runs. Opener David Warner (48) and former captain Steven Smith (55) had the key roles for the baggy greens in setting up the fourth innings target of challenging 328 runs for the visitors. While the Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj picked up a fifer (5/73), Shardul Thakur had a four-fer (4/61).

2021 Gabba Test (1st innings): Fearless Pant guided to history after Gill's 91 and Pujara's long batting 

India started the fifth day of the series finale Test at 4/0. Although the opener Rohit Sharma was dismissed for seven runs, the new opener Shubman Gill impressed with his batting, and solid Cheteshwar Pujara frustrated Aussie bowlers with his patient batting. Gill and Pujara set up a 114-run partnership for the second wicket to make the game on for the visitors, where Gill scored 91 off 146 balls with the help of eight fours and two sixes. 

After the skipper Rahane scored 24 off 22 balls (four fours and one six), Pujara and Rishabh Pant had a 61-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Pujara scored 56 off 211 balls (seven fours) before Pat Cummins dismissed him. 

Although Mayank Agarwal was out for nine runs, Pant was sensational with his bat, and Washington Sundar once again produced a valuable partnership. They had a 53-run partnership for the sixth wicket before Nathan Lyon bowled Sundar for 22 off 29 balls (two fours and one six). 

However, fearless Pant controlled the chasing without any tension, and even though Shardul Thakur was out for two runs, India chased the target with three wickets in hand. Pant scored 89 not out off 138 balls with the help of nine fours and one six, and the excited Indian players jumped with joy for winning the series by 2-1.

2021 Gabba Test: Australia lost at the Test venue after 32 years

It was Australia’s first Test defeat at the Gabba after 32 years. Previously, they lost a Gabba Test in November 1988 against West Indies (9 wickets). It was their first Gabba Test defeat after 31 Tests, which also broke their seven-match winning streak in the Test venue.