India, decimated by injuries and playing largely reserve players, chased 328 to win at the Gabba — a ground where Australia had not lost in 32 years. Rishabh Pant hit the winning boundary off the last-but-one over, winning the series 2-1.
India's tour of Australia in 2020-21 was one of the most extraordinary in cricket history. India's first-choice bowlers were all injured by the third Test. Virat Kohli had left the tour after the first Test for the birth of his daughter. The team that played the Gabba Test included debutants and replacements who had barely played international cricket.
Shubman Gill opened and made a brilliant 91. Cheteshwar Pujara was hit repeatedly by short-pitched bowling but stayed for 56 runs over 211 balls — absorbing the punishment. India needed 145 off the last 30 overs. Then 60 off 11. Then 36 off 5.
Rishabh Pant came to the crease and immediately attacked. In the final overs, with the match and the series — and perhaps the entire competitive dynamic between India and Australia — in the balance, Pant hit Cummins and Hazlewood for boundaries with dismissive authority.
With 2 overs remaining, India needed 9. Pant hit two fours off the first two balls of the second-last over. The winning four followed. India won by 3 wickets. The Gabba had fallen for the first time in 32 years. Rohit Sharma's Instagram post — a picture of the Gabba scoreboard with the word 'Fortress' captioned 'Not anymore' — became viral.
Pujara absorbing 211 balls of punishment — the foundation of the chase
Shubman Gill's 91 — a debut series innings for the ages
Rishabh Pant's winning boundary off the penultimate over — 32-year fortress falls
January 15, 2021
4th Test begins at the Gabba — India sent in with depleted squad
January 18, 2021
Australia set India 328 off 97 overs — conventional wisdom says draw
January 19, 2021
Gill 91, Pujara 56 off 211 balls — India in the hunt
January 19, 2021 (evening)
Pant 89* — winning boundary off penultimate over, India win by 3 wickets
India won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1. The win transformed the perception of Indian fast bowlers globally — Siraj, Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan, and Navdeep Saini had all played important roles in various Tests. Pant became a national hero overnight.
The greatest Test victory by an injury-depleted touring side in cricket history. India played with players who had no business being in the team and won. The Gabba fortress — built over 32 years — fell to a team of walking wounded.
Australia vs West Indies
1960-12-14
The first tied Test in 86 years of cricket history — Australia and West Indies finished level on 737 runs each after five days of breathless cricket in Brisbane, producing one of the most dramatic finishes the game has ever seen.
India vs Australia
1986-09-22
Twenty-six years after Brisbane, cricket produced only its second tied Test — Dean Jones's heroic 210 through crippling heat and Dean Jones's fever, Ravi Shastri's unbeaten 48 and India needing 2 off the last over, only for Maninder Singh to be out lbw off the final ball.
Australia vs South Africa
1999-06-17
Lance Klusener smashed Australia to the brink of elimination, then ran out Allan Donald off the penultimate ball to tie the match — but Australia advanced to the final on superior run rate, ending South Africa's greatest World Cup campaign in devastating fashion.