• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Toota Hain Gabba Ka Ghamand How India Breached The Gabba Fortress In 2021

'Toota Hain Gabba Ka Ghamand'- How India Breached The Gabba Fortress In 2021

Bhargav Dixit

The Indian team pose with the Border-Gavaskar trophy. [Source: @ThadhaniManish_/X]The Indian team pose with the Border-Gavaskar trophy. [Source: @ThadhaniManish_/X]

Story continues below ADVERTISEMENT

In the simplest of words, history was created the last time India played a Test match at the Gabba. After almost 400 overs were bowled across 15 riveting sessions of Test cricket that former India pacer Vivek Razdan uttered the historic line “Toota Hai Gabba Ka Ghamand” while calling the match in Hindi.

Played nearly four years ago, the fourth Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21 Test had resulted in a 3-wicket victory for the visitors. In what was the first-ever instance of India winning two consecutive Test series down under, it brought an end to Australia’s tryst with a venue which had seen them not losing across 31 Tests played over 32 years.

“See you at the Gabba,” then-Australia captain Tim Paine had warned India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin after his gritty match-saving 256-ball 62-run sixth-wicket partnership alongside Hanuma Vihari denied the hosts a chance to build a 2-1 lead during the third Sydney Test.

Less did Paine know that a casual sledge would end up becoming a source of embarrassment for him. With India breaching Australia’s fortress, the victory remains etched in the minds of their fans till date.

India Did The Unthinkable Without Several Senior Players

Successfully chasing a 328-run target against a legendary Australian quartet was stuff of dreams on paper. Doing it without the likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Vihari, Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav was simply unthinkable.

Because India were able to defy all odds with a significantly inexperienced squad, it remains one of their best Test victories ever.

Chasing Australia’s first innings total of 369, India had lost six wickets before the 200-run mark. Playing only their first and second Test respectively, India all-rounders Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur hitting individual half-centuries in a 123-run seventh-wicket partnership played a key role in powering the team to above 300.

Along with another debutant in T Natarajan, Sundar and Thakur had also dismissed three batters each in the first innings. In the second innings, Mohammed Siraj and Thakur joined hands to pick five and four wickets respectively to bundle out Australia for 294.


In what remains the highest successful run-chase in Brisbane Tests, it was possible only because of half-centuries from Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara and Player of the Match Rishabh Pant.