India's Greatest Victory ever in the history of Test Cricket

 If you are a Cricket fan and love the Test format, 19th January 2021 will forever be etched in your memory, irrespective of which country you support.

A fearless Indian team scripted a memorable win by overcoming the hurdles at the impregnable Gabba. When all Indians were hoping for a satisfactory draw, young India showed that they have their way of handling pressure. It started with the bowlers, backed up by the batsmen, and all of it happened under the umbrella of a humble captain. India retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy by beating Australia 2-1 at their den.

It was a proud day for us Indians. A feeling that ranks amongst the World Cup wins.

A few days have passed since this historic win at the Gabba, and I can still feel the emotions gushing inside me. I have probably seen every video, every highlight package from the match. There is no bigger high in life for me than seeing India play their blend of Cricket. Supporting them, cheering for them, getting angry at them, etc., are all beauties of what the game brings with it, and I have followed the sport ever since I was a child. It has given me some of the most joyful moments of my life, and the heart keeps wanting more of it… What we saw unfold on 19th January 2021 is something that doesn't happen very often. Before we pause to assess what happened, let's take a trip down memory lane to shed light on why this is such a big deal!

As a 90s kid, I grew up watching one of the greatest rivalries in Cricket - India v/s Australia.

I don't remember a lot from the '91/92 series, but the first major Test series that I remember is the 1998 home series which India won 2-1. It majorly revolved around the matchup between the two champions - Sachin and Warne, and the former was up to the challenge. Even though the series ended 2-1 in India's favor, it was dominated by the Indian side.

The real test came in 1999 when India was touring Australia after 7 years, and here is where the inspiration behind the happiness starts… 

I saw a strong Australian side whitewash a young Indian side 3-0, and apart from Sachin's brilliant MCG hundred and Laxman's fluent 167 at Sydney, there was nothing to take back. It was a statement to the Cricket fraternity that India wasn't a successful side overseas.

Blurring the timeline a bit, I will skip the famous 2001 home series for now.

In 2003-04, we saw a new Team India determined to perform overseas. Sourav Ganguly set the tone in the first test, followed by Dravid-Laxman in the second, Sehwag mortified the Aussie attack in the third, and Sachin tired them down in the fourth. Indian managed to draw the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy. It was a remarkable feat, and it made people believe that India can perform well overseas. It was one of Ganguly's most significant achievements as a captain, and it was his vision that made India a formidable side overseas. The seed that he planted 20 years back is reaping benefits today.

Post-2003/04, a subsequent Ind-Aus away series had its share of controversies and poor performances. In 2007-08, it was plagued by the Sydney controversy, and in 2011-12, India lost 0-4 against a dominant Australian side. The 2013-14 series was a well-fought one, but Australia had the last laugh. The balance of power started shifting towards the Aussies, and it once again became the story of Home and Away advantages. India would beat Australia at home and would get beaten in the away series.

However, all that changed in the 2018-19 away tour.

For me, the turnaround in Indian Test cricket happened in 2018-19. The team was menacing at home, and with the resurgence of Ishant Sharma and the aggression of Jasprit Bumrah, India was locking horns head-on with Australia. It was a fiercely fought contest, and every test match had moments that carved a side-story of itself. Be it Pujara's patience, Mayank's confidence, Pant's aggression, Bumrah's precision, or Kohli's passion, every player had a story of themselves. One of the few complete series I have witnessed where each team player contributed to the larger cause, and India won in Australia for the first time. The 2-1 win ensured that Virat Kohli's side was no longer afraid and ready to challenge any International side, be it home or away… And that's what winning in Australia entails.

So what's so special about 19th January 2021?

When Australia is playing against India at home, it is the classic David v Goliath matchup. No matter how unbalanced a team is, they are considered firm favorites when playing at home. However, that line of thought changed after the previous away series win for India. At that time, Australia's excuse for the loss was around their key players (Warner and Smith) missing, but to an Indian fan, it sounded like 'Blah! Blah! Blah!'

So when the 2020-21 series was announced, the Australian cricketing fraternity was confident of a bounce-back because their key players were back and were indeed in good form. The timing of the series also wasn't at an ideal time. With COVID-19, isolation bubbles, and quarantine challenges, preparing for a series of this magnitude was challenging and mentally exhausting. In addition to that, India's captain and premier batsman, Virat Kohli, would only play the 1st test match before returning home for his first child's birth. Ishant Sharma was ruled out of the series, and Rohit Sharma was only available from the 3rd test match. So, the team management had lots to consider before the test matches.

On the other hand, Australia had a full side except for David Warner, who was injured in the ODI series leading up to the test matches. 

The 1st test match was played at Adelaide, a ground where Indian fans witnessed Rahul Dravid's fierce square cut to clinch a famous win in the 2003-04 series. India took a lead of 53 runs from the first innings, and then the unthinkable happened. India was bowled out for 36; their lowest ever score in Test Cricket. It was shocking because it was never expected. Many of us were left pondering what had happened because no signs were leading up to that collapse. Australia won that test match and went 1-0 up in the series. Virat Kohli was going back home, and bells of a whitewash were ringing amidst the cricketing fraternity.

No matter what sport you follow, the human tendency is to support the underdog. Even though the punters and aficionados had written India off, they still had the underdog support.

The 2nd test match was played in Melbourne, famously known as 'The Boxing Day' test match.

India restructured their side with multiple changes and brought in talents like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Mohammed Siraj. With the backs against the wall, India dismissed Australia for 195 in the first innings and then followed it up with a fighting 326. The innings comprised vital partnerships around the magnificent hundred by the captain, Ajinkya Rahane - an innings to remember for ages. With a substantial lead under their belt and a bowler injured in the early phase of Australia's second innings, Indian bowlers attacked with precision. They managed to bowl Australia out for 200, leaving them to chase 70 runs to win the test match. Once again, Rahane stepped up and spearheaded the chase with the flamboyant Shubman Gill. The gentle tuck past short fine leg by Rahane was a fitting end to the test match, and the series was 1-1… The demons of Adelaide were buried, and it was a remarkable comeback after being bowled out for 36…

2020 ended on a promising note…

After Melbourne, the teams moved onto Sydney to play the 3rd test match, also known as 'The Pink Test.'

David Warner was back in the Australian side, and Steve Smith had a point to prove after abysmal performances in the first two tests. Throughout the test match, Australia was the better side and showed keen dedication to win the test match. With more than 130 overs left in the test match, Australia declared and set India a target of 407. Mathematically a win for India was possible, but the most probable results were a draw or a win for Australia. However, Rishabh Pant had a different idea…

After fending away 30 odd-balls for 5 runs, Pant decided to attack, and boy o' boy, it was riveting to see him bat. Everyone was on the edge of their seat while he was batting, and his partnership with Pujara slowly started chipping away runs. With a strike rate of more than 80, Pant scored 97 runs and gave India hope for a win. He got out to a ridiculous shot, and I remember getting furious at the sight of it - Why would you play a shot like that on 97, knowing that Lyon is trying to bait you? But then that's how he plays - fearless… It was that fearless attitude that got him those 97 runs. Soon after that, Pujara fell, and Hanuma Vihari pulled his hamstring. Ashwin, who himself was suffering from back pains, joined Vihari at the crease. With both players suffering from injuries and Jadeja having broken his left thumb, a win was out of the question. Together they batted for 259 balls (~44 overs) to secure a draw. By taking blow after blow with battered ribs and arms, Vihari and Ashwin implemented the 'blockathon.'

We saw a gutsy team put in a heroic effort to save a test match. Two contrasting partnerships - (Pant / Pujara) gave us hope of a win, and (Vihari / Ashwin) secured an unlikely draw.

The series stayed level, and it was termed as the #TheGreatEscape.

With only 11 days into 2021, the match was already among the year's best test matches.

With the series leveled at 1-1, the final test match at Gabba (in Brisbane) was a virtual Final. To win the Border-Gavaskar trophy, Australia had to win the test match, and India just needed a draw to retain the trophy… and this test match was the cherry on top of an incredible series.

Australia had not lost a test match since 1988. Tim Paine, the Australian captain, had sledged Ashwin in the previous test match that they can't wait for India to come to the Gabba. It was an impregnable fortress for the Australians, but so was Troy. It took a Trojan horse to defeat Troy, and it took a brigade of young India to end the Gabba run for Australia. 

India went into the test match with a relatively 'B' side. No Vihari, no Ashwin, no Bumrah, no Jadeja. Washington Sundar and T Natarajan, both picked as net bowlers, were asked to play the test match. Mohammed Siraj, who was only playing his 3rd test match, led the pace attack for India. An interesting fact was how the two bowling attacks lined up - the total wickets by the Australian bowlers were 1013. The Indian attack only had 13. That was the inexperience gap with what India went into that test match.

Australia won the toss, elected to bat, and scored 369 on the back of Labuschagne hundred. India's first innings was a mixed bag, and it all came crumbling down to 186-6 with two allrounders at the crease - Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur, and what a partnership!

A fighting 123 run stand took India to 336, and what seemed like a lost cause suddenly became the story of the phoenix. In urgent need to get quick runs, Australia got dismissed for 294, leaving India to score 328 runs to win the test match. With that many runs to win on the final day of the test match, the typical chain of thought would have been to play for a draw. However, as I have repeatedly mentioned, young India has their way. Shuhbman Gill played a magnificent inning of 97 after being dismissed by Lyon, and Pujara continued to take body blows to block one end. With cameos by Rahane and Sundar, in the end, it all came down to the match-winning knock by Rishabh Pant. If he was carelessly fearless in Sydney, he was responsibly brave in Brisbane. When he stroked the ball by Hazlewood towards long-off to hit the winning runs, it reminded me of the famous six by MS Dhoni in the 2011 World Cup. A surreal example of why Test Cricket is the ultimate Cricket.

After 36 all out, coming back to win a series with key players missing against a fully fit opposition in their own backyard is a fantastic victory. Even if these players achieve nothing else in Cricket, they will still sleep peacefully knowing that they pleased billions world-wide.

Upon the ending of the series, there were comparisons with India's 2001 series of 0-1 down to 2-1 victory. Even though both of them were stories of a hard fightback, an away victory amidst all the team injuries will take an upper pedestal. It's almost two decades since the 2001 series concluded, and you have to say that the culture Ganguly brought in and the coaching by Dravid to the under-19 contingent paved the way to what transpired in Australia... Every great victory in history sets the tone for the next generation. Be it Kapil Dev's iconic 1983 Cup lift or Dhoni's six to win the 2011 World Cup, each of those moments has inspired the future generation of Indian Cricket… And I am confident that this 2-1 victory in Australia will encourage the upcoming breed of cricketers to believe in Test Cricket and push them to become better cricketers.

The future's looking brighter than ever!