BRISBANE: Rishabh Pant unleashed a batting maelstrom to blast India to an incredible three-wicket win in the fourth Test decider on Tuesday as Ajinkya Rahane’s injury-ravaged tourists humbled Australia with a 2-1 series triumph.

The pugnacious Pant timed his innings to perfection, ramping up the aggression in a stellar 89 as India stormed to a record 328-run chase at the Gabba.

Australia had not been beaten at the Gabba since falling to Viv Richards’ all-conquering West Indies side by nine wickets in November 1988.

India’s 329 for seven also smashed the 69-year-old record for the biggest run-chase at the Gabba, set by Australia who scored 236 for seven to beat the West Indies in 1951.

With regular captain Virat Kohli savouring fatherhood back home, India mowed down 145 runs after tea on day five to claim a win for the ages when Pant smashed Josh Hazlewood to the long-off fence with 18 balls to spare.

“This is one of the biggest moments of my life now,” the wicket-keeper/batsman Pant said after being named man-of-the-match. “It has been a dream series.”

With 21 wickets, Australia paceman Pat Cummins was declared man-of-the-series yet Pant may have had a bigger claim since his brilliant fourth innings 97 in Sydney proved decisive as India saved the third Test and set up one last push in Brisbane.

Cummins with figures of 4-55 was easily the pick of the Australian attack, sending down 24 overs of pace and hostility, but the rest of the bowlers looked fatigued after bowling all day in Sydney just eight days ago.

There were nonetheless heroes galore in the Indian dressing room, though not a single first-choice bowler at the Gabba.

There was two-Test paceman Shardul Thakur and debutant all-rounder Washington Sundar who grabbed 11 wickets between them, then combined for a courageous 123-run stand in India’s first innings to drag them back from the brink.

On Tuesday, there was the equally impressive knock from the 21-year-old opener Shubman Gill contributing 91 in just his third Test after his senior partner Rohit Sharma fell for seven.

Cheteshwar Pujara stitched it all together, soaking up 211 balls in his obdurate 56 and wearing about a dozen body blows from Australia’s frustrated pacemen.

India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, two years after beating Australia in the 2018-19 series Down Under, and also shot to the top of the World Test Championship.

This victory, however, was a far greater achievement as the previous series Australia lacked their best batsmen in Steve Smith and David Warner due to a ball-tampering scandal.

The jubilant scenes at the Gabba were also a far cry from the Adelaide opener when India were bowled out for 36, their lowest ever Test innings, in a three-day thrashing. And yet they rallied superbly to win in Melbourne and belief flooded after seeing off Australia in Sydney.

Australia battled hard to claim late wickets in Brisbane.

With India’s tail shaky, hearts were in mouths after Josh Hazlewood removed Thakur for two, with three runs left to score.

Yet Pant had the presence of mind to sneak a single as Thakur’s shot flew to Nathan Lyon at square leg, winning back the strike for his final coup de grace.

Questions were being now asked about Tim Paine’s captaincy after the home side proved powerless to bowl India out on successive day five pitches.

“Absolutely disappointed,” said Paine, who was jeered by sections of the crowd at the post-match presentation. “It’s been a bit of a trend that we were found wanting in the key moments and completely outplayed by a tough Indian side that fully deserves the win.”

Rahane will be the toast of India, however, and now holds an unbeaten record of four wins in five Tests.

“It really means a lot to us. I don’t know how to describe this victory. I’m just proud of all the boys,” said Rahane. “Credit to Pujara, the way he handled the pressure was magnificent, and Rishabh was brilliant in the end.”

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 369 (M. Labuschagne 108, T.D. Paine 50, C. Green 47, M.S. Wade 45; T. Natarajan 3-78, Washington Sundar 3-89, S.N. Thakur 3-94).

INDIA (1st Innings) 336 (S.N. Thakur 67, Washington Sundar 62, R.G. Sharma 44; J.R. Hazlewood 5-57).

AUSTRALIA (2nd Innings) 294 (S.P.D. Smith 55, D.A. Warner 48; Mohammed Siraj 5-73. S.N. Thakur 4-61).

INDIA (2nd Innings, overnight 4-0):

R.G. Sharma c Paine b Cummins 7

Shubman Gill c Smith b Lyon 91

C.A. Pujara lbw Cummins 56

A.M. Rahane c Paine b Cummins 24

R.R. Pant not out 89

M.A. Agarwal c Wade b Cummins 9

Washington Sundar b Lyon 22

S.N. Thakur c Lyon b Hazlewood 2

N.A. Saini not out 0

EXTRAS (B-18, LB-8, NB-3) 29

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 97 overs) 329

FALL OF WKTS: 1-18, 2-132, 3-167, 4-228, 5-265, 6-318, 7-325.

BOWLING: Starc 16-0-75-0 (1nb); Hazlewood 22-5-74-1 (1nb); Cummins 24-10-55-4 (1nb); Green 3-1-10-0; Lyon 31-7-85-2; Labuschagne 1-0-4-0.

RESULT: India won by three wickets to win four-match series 2-1.

UMPIRES: B.N.J. Oxenford (Australia) and P. Wilson (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: P.R. Reiffel (Australia).

MATCH REFEREE: D.C. Boon (Australia).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Rishabh Pant.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Pat Cummins.

FIRST TEST: Adelaide, Australia won by eight wickets.

SECOND TEST: Melbourne, India won by eight wickets.

THIRD TEST: Sydney, match drawn.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2021