History at the Gabba! India defeat Australia by 3 wickets, seal series 2-1

India on Tuesday scripted history as they became the first team to win back-to-back Test series on Australian soil while ending Australia’s record of being unbeaten at the Gabba, Brisbane since 1988. Rishabh Pant was the hero for the visitors as the southpaw smashed an unbeaten 89 to take India home and clinch a historic series win against India. With the win, India won the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1.

This was the first defeat for Australia at their fortress Gabba in 32 years as Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara played incredible knocks in the second innings to guide India to a memorable win and Test series win.

Against all odds, the Indian team defeated a full-strength Australian side. While India had several stars missing since the start of the gruelling tour, more players suffered injuries only for the youngsters to step up and create history. 

Talking about the Brisbane Test, Australia posted 369 runs in the first innings after a fantastic century by Marnus Labuschagne. Indian team, missing their key players, stepped up to the occasion as the inexperienced bowling attack wreaked havoc. The likes of T Natarajan, Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar ended up with three wickets each. 

India, in reply, scored 226 after crucial half-centuries from Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur. While a big score was missing in the Indian camp, the visitors hunted together to pile pressure on the Aussies.

Australia, in the second innings, upped the ante and scored 294 runs courtesy a fine half-century by Steve Smith and crucial knocks by David Warner, Cameron Green among others.

However, India defied all the odds on Day 5, as Shubman Gill started the proceedings with a spellbinding 91-run knock before Pujara and Pant took the centre stage. While Pujara scored 56, Pant ended up with an unbeaten 89 as he helped India seal the Test series 2-1.

Rishabh Pant | Player of the Match: This one of my biggest days in life. The support the team has given me even when I was not playing has been incredible. It's a dream come true. We've been practising hard after the first Test. The team management always backs me and tells me you are match-winner and you have to go out there and win and I am happy I did it today. It was a fifth-day pitch and the ball was turning.

Pat Cummins | Player of the Series: Good hard day of Test cricket today. Rishabh and the rest of India took the game on and deserved to win. I wanted the cracks to do a bit more. If we bowled well I think we could have picked up wickets. In Sydney the game was there to win on Day 5, we just didn't go for it, so yes, overall, quite happy.