[imagesource: AFP]
As the fourth and final test match of a riveting series between Australia and India entered day five, and inclement weather loomed, few people gave the visitors a chance.
In fact, cricket prediction tool CricViz gave India just a 2% chance of winning at the ‘Gabba, where the Ozzies hadn’t lost a test match since 1988.
It also seemed unlikely that India would risk going for the 328 runs needed, given that a drawn series would see them retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and further cement their position atop the Test World Championship table.
Enter Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, with just 19 test matches between them, and an incredible ending to one of the greatest series in recent history.
India’s win will be all the sweeter considering the alleged racist abuse their players were subjected to during the third test in Sydney, where they pulled off a gutsy escape to block out for a draw, and Ozzie skipper Tim Paine’s words have come back to haunt him.
You may recall Paine’s sledging battle with Ravichandran Ashwin in Sydney, when he called the Indian allrounder a “dickhead” and chirped “I can’t wait to get you to the Gabba”.
Let’s have a quick refresher:
Ashwin’s wife, Prithi, documented her emotions during the tense final stages of the chase, before dropping this gem:
SEE YOU AT THE GABBA MATE.
— Prithi Ashwin (@prithinarayanan) January 19, 2021
You love to see it.
Settle in, and enjoy watching one of cricket’s truly great run chases, against an outfit that makes it very easy to dislike them:
[source:cricketau]
