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.

Isa Guha Issues Apology for Comment About Jasprit Bumrah

During the third Test match between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Isa Guha, a former England cricketer turned commentator, found herself in the midst of controversy after using the term “most valuable primate” to describe Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. The remark, made on December 15, 2024, during a live broadcast, quickly drew backlash from viewers who felt the comment had negative racial connotations.

The term "primate," while scientifically encompassing humans and other mammals, has historically been associated with racial undertones in certain contexts. Recognizing the unintended offense caused by her words, Guha addressed the situation immediately and issued an on-air apology at the start of the following day’s broadcast.

Guha’s On-Air Apology

Appearing alongside fellow commentators Ravi Shastri and Adam Gilchrist, Guha expressed regret, stating:

“Yesterday in commentary I used a word that can be interpreted in a number of different ways. I’d like to apologise for any offence caused. I set myself really high standards when it comes to empathy and respect for others. If you listen to the full transcript, I only meant the highest praise for one of India’s greatest players, and someone that I admire greatly.”

Her apology emphasized her commitment to inclusivity and respect, both as a commentator and as an advocate for equality in sports.

This seductive voice of Isha Guha and they made her to apologize .. Bumrah didn't even notice her comment 🤦🤦

pic.twitter.com/mevQEKC6wU

— ROFL.Ai (@ROFL_India) December 29, 2024

Reactions from Colleagues and Viewers

Ravi Shastri, a respected figure in cricket and one of her co-commentators, commended Guha for her sincerity and bravery in addressing the matter publicly. He remarked:

“Brave woman. To do it on live television and apologise, it takes some steel. You heard it from the horse’s mouth. So as far as I am concerned, it’s game over. People are entitled to make mistakes. We are all humans. In the heat of the moment, sometimes when you have the mic in hand, things can happen. To own up and say sorry, takes courage.”

Social media reactions were mixed. While some applauded her immediate apology and professionalism, others remained critical, emphasizing the importance of mindfulness in commentary, particularly in a sport as diverse as cricket.

While Australia and India are involved in the crucial third Test of the five-match Test series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, Indian captain Rohit Sharma chose to field first after winning the toss. There is a significant question that has arisen, especially after the first ten overs in the rain-interrupted first session, whether the Indian captain made the right call or not.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma is a little bit under pressure at the present moment. India suddenly suffered a big setback by losing the home three-match Test series against New Zealand by 3-0, which shook their dominant top-place position in the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship points table. 

Rohit Sharma hurt on Bengaluru Test decision

During the latest New Zealand tour of India, Indian captain Rohit Sharma made a wrong call in the Test series opener at Bengaluru, where he chose to bat first in the overcast condition. However, that decision backfired on the hosts, who were bundled out for only 46 runs in the first innings of that Test. 

While the ongoing BGT Test series is running with the 1-1 position before the crucial third Test at Brisbane, the toss decision is always going to be vital for every team. The first session of the crucial Gabba Test experienced two rain interruptions as Australia were batting at 28/0 in 13.2 overs. Although the Indian pacers didn’t set any easy opportunities to score runs in the shorter rain-interrupted first session, the Aussie openers were hardly challenged. 

Most recent record of the Gabba Test

Previously, the Gabba in Brisbane hosted a Test match between Australia and West Indies last January, which was a day-night pink ball Test match. West Indies ultimately stunned by winning that Test match by eight runs as the hosts Australia closely failed to chase the fourth innings target of 216 runs. It was Australia’s first defeat in the pink-ball Test match history, while West Indies ended their 21-year-long wait for winning a Test match against Australia. 

Although Australia failed to chase a 216-run fourth innings target in the Gabba Test, we can’t get the latest Test stories from this information because it is not a regular red-ball Test match. 

See Also: Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Top 5 Memorable Test matches played at the Gabba

Recent red-ball Test match records at the Gabba

Talking about the regular red-ball Test match records at the Gabba, the last five Tests experienced only the winning sides, who batted second in the Test matches. A first-batting team won a Gabba Test last time in November 2015, where the Baggy Greens claimed a dominant win against New Zealand by 208 runs. 

Since December 2011, only two out of the nine red-ball Gabba Tests have experienced successful results for the first batting teams. Meanwhile, all other seven Brisbane Tests ended with the second batting team’s successes.

The upper records clearly indicate that the Gabba Test pitches become more favourable for the batters with time progress. As the third Test of the ongoing BGT has started in overcast conditions, the Indian captain’s decision only felt more logical. 

Persistent rain waiting for the Gabba Test

Meanwhile, the ongoing Gabba Test can experience a big battle against the rain god. The opening-day shower not only interrupts the first session of the Test match, but also takes away more time from the opening day. The chance of the play in the remainder of the first day is getting weaker with the time progress. 

According to the weather forecast, there is a lesser chance of rain on Sunday as it has nearly a 50% chance of precipitation. However, the next three days will experience more rain, as each of the three days has a precipitation forecast of 70%. 

The detailed forecast suggests that Monday will experience more rain in the early morning and the evening. During the last two days of the Gabba Test, rain can be experienced mainly during the match.  

The weather forecast has a big indication of the Test match result, as we can experience a draw result in the case of insufficient match progression. The venue experienced its last Test draw in November 2012, when South Africa toured in Australia. 

The Gabba in Brisbane has long been regarded as Australia's stronghold, a place where the home team has always prevailed. For India, this field has been a source of both frustration and glory, capturing the highs and lows of cricket struggles in Australia, as they had just one but significant victory on Brisbane soil.

As India prepares for their next and crucial third Test match at this legendary venue on December 14, 2024, here are the top five most memorable Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) matches played at the Gabba, Brisbane.