Brisbane (Agencies): India pulled off a record run-chase in a thrillingfinal session to hand Australia their first defeat at Brisbane’s Gabbaground since 1988 and clinch the four-Test series 2-1 on Tuesday.
Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant starred with a swashbuckling 89 not out as theinjury-depleted visitors overhauled the 328-run target with three overs togo, winning by three wickets.
Australia had not been beaten at the Gabba since falling to Viv Richards’all-conquering West Indies side by nine wickets in November 1988. India’s329 for seven also smashed the 69-year-old record for the biggest run-chaseat the Gabba, set by Australia who scored 236 for seven to beat the WestIndies in 1951.
The series win was a remarkable achievement considering India were bowledout for their lowest Test score of 36 to lose the first Test in Adelaide,before bouncing back to win the second in Melbourne. The visitors, ravagedby injuries and captain Virat Kohli’s absence for paternity leave, thenbatted throughout the final day to draw the third Test in Sydney.
Man-of-the-match Pant, who played a similar innings in the drawn SydneyTest, blasted his 89 from 138 balls with nine fours and a six. His inningsfollowed an equally impressive knock from 21-year-old Shubman Gill, whomade 91 at the top of the order earlier in the day.
Cheteshwar Pujara’s 56 was also vital, the gritty number three hit 10 timesby Australia’s quicks, taking blows to the fingers, arm, ribs and head ashe was subjected to a searching examination by Pat Cummins and JoshHazlewood. Cummins with 4-55 was easily the pick of the Australian attack,sending down 24 overs of pace and hostility, but the rest of the bowlerslooked fatigued after bowling all day in Sydney just eight days ago.
– No fear –
Despite Australia’s fearsome record at the Gabba, the Indian batsmen showedno fear and never looked interested in playing for a draw, even afterlosing the wickets of Pujara and Mayank Agarwal after tea. Pant tookadvantage of any loose ball, but also played some outrageous strokes,showing the influence T20 cricket has had on Tests. India started themorning on four for no loss after bowling Australia out for 294 just beforerain stopped play late on the fourth day.
Australia’s hopes of a series-clinching victory were raised early whenCummins drew Rohit Sharma forward to a ball that caught the outside edge,Tim Paine taking a fine diving catch in front of first slip.
But as India have shown since their capitulation in Adelaide, when theywere bowled out for 36, they are never out of the contest. Their effort inthe fourth Test is even more admirable considering the high injury toll ontour. Their bowling attack was led by Mohammad Siraj, who debuted inMelbourne, supported by Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, T. Natarajan andWashington Sundar, who had two Tests between them heading into Brisbane.
The tourists were without the services of front-line seamers Ishant Sharma,Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav and Japrit Bumrah and regular spin bowlers RaviJadeja and Ravi Ashwin. They were also missing regular captain Kohli, whowent home after the first Test to be with his wife for the birth of hisfirst child.
After just one wicket in the first session, Australia could only manage twoafter lunch, with Gill falling for his superb 91 and skipper Ajinkya Rahanea quickfire 24. Gill was magnificent on a fifth-day wicket, smashing theAustralian bowlers to all corners of the ground.
He hit eight fours and two towering sixes in his 146-ball innings before hebecame Nathan Lyon’s 398th Test victim, edging an arm ball to first slipwhere Steve Smith took a sharp catch. With Pujara putting down the anchorat one end, Rahane raced to 24 from just 22 balls.
But trying to glide a Cummins short ball over the slips, he only managed toget a faint edge to Australian ‘keeper Tim Paine to leave India 167 forthree. India looked in control through the final session and despite threewickets falling in the last hour, they cruised home with three overs tospare, Pant hitting the winning four off Hazlewood.