The Indian team celebrates victory after day five of the 4th Test Match in the series between Australia and India at The Gabba on Tuesday.
Amid all the hullabaloo leading to the series two months ago, one thing was certain among almost all the cricket experts: India will be the one who will be chasing Australia throughout the series despite winning the series 2-1 last time. And the murmur seemed right as well when India were dealt with an agonising loss at Adelaide when Virat Kohli and Co. bundled out for 36.
Yet, here we are after a month filled with action-packed thrilling games that showed that this Indian team, despite being battered and bruised with injuries in a flurry, had what it takes to defeat the Aussies yet again in their own den; and this time around Steve Smith and David Warner were there too as theirs opponents.
Rishabh Pant, who is often blamed for throwing up his wicket on important occasions, came of his age to play a prudent match-winning knock of 89 in a three-wicket win on Tuesday as India clinched the series 2-1.
And to realise what's the importance of the win. One must look at what this visiting Indian side achieved in their last game. Missing their captain Virat Kohli and several star players, they didn't just turnaround 1-0 deficit but also defeated Aussies at their bastion GABBA for the first time in 32 years. The last time they tasted defeat on this ground was against the legendary West Indies team in 1988.
A glance at the record prior to the game, Australia played 31 matches at the venue; winning 24 of them while drawing the remaining games.
For the record books, this was also India's first victory at the ground in 7 Test; losing the previous five encounters while drawing one.
India had not played at the iconic venue during their last trip in 2018-19 wherein they clinched a historic Test series win.
