Washington Sundar (left) and Shardul Thakur of India speak mid pitch as they bat together during day three of the 4th Test Match in the series between Australia and India at The Gabba on Sunday
Since the beginning of the Test series, Australia has been at the top of their mindgame tactics. Whether it's Virat Kohli's early departure over maternity leave or ever-gorwing list of Team India injuries, many cricket experts were quick to write off India in the series. However, time and again, this team has just showed the depth it possesses and unlikely heroes were born when the chips were down.
And the new entrants to that star-studded show were Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar, who put in an extra shift with the bat, that too on their debut; denting Aussie morales and this time at the iconic GABBA.
With Oz feeling comfortable with their impresssive bowling show, which reduced India to 186/6 on Day 3, the debutant duo put on a 123-run stand for the seventh wicket to take the visitors just 33 runs short of Australia's 369.
They almost made mockery of the fact that this very ground has been the bastion of Aussie cricket for decades and all thier attempts to feel bullish, despite the morale denting draw in the last Test, was foiled with this stand.
The partnership was not just a quick reminder of the R Ashwin's and Hanuma Vihari's heroics down the order in Sydney but also paid testament to the depth of Indian team which didn't flinch despite going into the game with a depleted squad.
If anything, Shardul and Sundar just showed that the team has only grown stronger and have an in-built hunger to fight all the way down.
To think of it, the duo surely wouldn't have thought a month ago that they would make thier debut for India in the closely-fought Australia vs India Test series but here they were on a Sunday morning in GABBA, giving the Aussies a taste of their own medicine while giving Indian fans and lovers plenty to cherish about.
Throughout the partnership, the duo also displayed crafty cricketing shots.
Here's a list of highest partnership for seventh-wicket by Indian pairs at the Gabba:
Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur (2021) - 67*
Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar (1991) - 58
MS Dhoni and Ravichandran Ashwin (2014) - 57
Manoj Prabhakar and Ravi Shastri (1991) - 49
ML Jaisimha and Bapu Nadkarni (1968) - 44
Earlier, Australia were bowled out on 369 in the first innings. Thakur and Sundar were among the top wicket-takers in the innings alongside T Natarajan. The trio took three-wickets each.
