India’s Historic Fightback From 36 All-Out Against Australia (India Lowest Score) (Story of Gabba)
This time, the Australian team entered the cricket arena with full enthusiasm, confidently predicting that Team India would have to face defeat. This match was no less than a grand battle, and it seemed like more than just a cricket match; it was a colossal war. Australia had no weaknesses, and India was searching for a way to exploit their weaknesses. The opportunity presented itself from 17th December 2020 to 19th January 2021 during Australia’s tour of India. Australia was full of self-confidence during this period as they had never lost a pink-ball Test match in cricket history.
Day 1, Test 1 (Adelaide): The match began with great fanfare. India won the toss and chose to bat first. Australia, with Mitchell Starc leading the attack, was fully fit and ready to go. India couldn’t make much impact, losing three wickets for just 30 runs. Captain Virat Kohli and dependable Pujara managed to build a partnership of 50 runs, but Lyon dismissed Pujara. India was at 100/3, and the captain and vice-captain were at the crease. They formed an 88-run partnership before Captain Kohli was run out at 74 runs due to a misunderstanding. Rahane was also dismissed for 42 runs. After a decent start, India lost their last five wickets for just 48 runs, finishing the innings at 244.
Day 2: Australia began their innings but also started poorly, losing an early wicket for just 16 runs. Despite making 45 runs, they lost three wickets. At one point, Australia found themselves struggling at 111/7, but then their captain, Tim Paine, played a brilliant innings of 73 runs. Thanks to him, Australia managed to reach a total of 191 before being all out.
By the end of Day 2, Australia was trailing India’s score by 53 runs and had lost seven wickets. Ashwin troubled the Australian batsmen, and Umesh Yadav and Jaspreet Bumrah combined to take five wickets.
Day 3: This day would be forever recorded in the annals of cricket history. On the third day, as soon as the match started, Team India started losing wickets in quick succession. They collapsed to 36 all out, a stark contrast to their first-innings score of 244. It was a shocking performance, and no one had ever seen such a low score in a Test match. The team that had troubled the Australian bowlers just a day ago was now struggling to survive against them. They couldn’t even last two hours in front of the Australian bowlers and were all out for a paltry 36 runs.
This display shattered the hearts of Indian cricket fans, and India faced intense criticism and trolling. With Captain Virat Kohli having to return to India and Rohit Sharma being kept away from the team due to COVID protocols, India faced the challenging task of playing the next three matches without their regular captain. In Kohli’s absence, Rahane had to deal with numerous challenges. Furthermore, the situation worsened as Shami was also ruled out due to injury after the first match, adding to the difficulties of the Indian team.
Test-2 (Melbourne): India had to face Australia again at the Melbourne ground, but this time, the team had only two options: either collapse like the previous match or stage a comeback. India chose the latter option. Ashwin was determined to get Smith out and watched numerous videos to study him. Meanwhile, Rahane and Vihari formed a crucial partnership, and India managed to get a total of 326 in their first innings.
Day 2, Australia’s start was not good, and they lost an early wicket for just 4 runs. India had a firm grip on the match, and no Australian batsman could withstand the pressure. At 133/6, Australia was fighting to save face.
Day 3: Australia’s lower order tried to put up a fight, but Indian bowlers Siraj, Bumrah, and Ashwin kept the pressure on and bowled out Australia for 200.
In the second innings, India needed 70 runs to win. The Indian team was determined to overcome the humiliating defeat they faced earlier. With Gill and Rahane’s partnership, India achieved the target with eight wickets in hand. The series was now level at 1-1, and Indian cricket fans were relieved.
The Indian team silenced the critics, and media trolls were no longer a concern.
(Story of Gabba Final Test India vs Australia)
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