Can India’s Manchester Valour Inspire Them To Recreate The Great Miracle Of Gabba At Oval?

Ravindra Jadeja shaking hands with Stokes after Old Trafford clash [Source: AP]

“Toota Hai Gabba Ka Ghamand, Jeet Gayi Hai Muqabla Bharat… Border-Gavaskar Trophy Jayegi Gavaskar Ke Desh (The Gabbatoir has been breached, India have won the contest and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy goes to Gavaskar’s country)". 

The visual of Rishabh Pant’s match-winning boundary, followed by these immortal lines from Vivek Razdan, is still sufficient to give goosebumps to India’s passionate cricket fans. 

January 19, 2021; Indian fans will seldom forget this date that witnessed their inexperienced team outclass a formidable Australian side in a ground where they hadn’t lost a Test match in more than 30 years. It was indeed the ideal kind of statement every Indian wanted the team to conclude the tour with, especially considering the events that had transpired throughout the series. 

Now, fast-forward to 2025, another Indian contingent faces a similar situation, where the level of anguish is not sky-high but just enough to make the fans hope for a similar fate to the English side, which is dismissive of any cricketing ideology other than those aligning with the much-talked-about Bazball. 

Arrogance: The Common Factor In Paine’s Australia And Stokes’ England

Every team has its own way of playing the game. The players serve as valuable assets for the management, which in turn decides the ideal mode of using its troops. 

Be it Australia’s ‘as tough as nails’ attitude or England’s self-glorification, each ideology is derived from a particular cricketing culture. When we talk about Bazball, we are referring to English head coach Brendon McCullum’s no-nonsense, result-oriented approach that certainly has maximised the potential of white-ball specialists whom England have at their disposal. 

However, success must not go to anyone’s head; it doesn’t make a team entitled to dictate terms, either, even if it’s their backyard. 

When Tim Paine chirped ‘Can’t wait to see you at The Gabba’ to irritate R Ashwin, his statement was a mere reflection of his ego for Australia being invincible in Brisbane for 33 long years. 

Similarly, Ben Stokes and his mates’ expectation from their Indian counterparts to shake hands at their will and conclude the game in a stalemate much prior to the scheduled time, somewhere, echoed the English arrogance, whose foundation is built on the grand success of Bazball. 

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India And The Habit Of Rising From The Ashes

Here, we are not accusing England or Australia of committing a crime; the game has room for healthy banters that keep Test cricket alive. But it’s also worth noting that such instances sometimes trigger the opposition, motivating them to exceed expectations and become a part of cricketing folklore. 

When India entered the Gabba with several players who had barely played Test cricket before, nobody had expected them to breach the Australian fortress. From key players’ injury to an inexperienced combination, every factor in India’s resume forced cricket pundits, including those from their own country, to outrightly downplay them. 

But what’s fun in playing a game where you can’t prove the odds wrong? 

The inexperience, bolstered by the Australian trigger of arrogance and abuse, lifted the spirits of the Indian players, who gave it their all to script the greatest Test victory. 

And what followed next was an honest admission from the then-Australian head coach Justin Langer, who warned every opponent against underestimating the Indians ever after. 

Now, as we move on to Kennington Oval for the final showdown, it seems like the ideal time to give a reality check to England’s arrogant Bazballers. 

The Tale Of Two Draws On Iconic Tours

India clinched valiant draws in SCG and Manchester [Source: AP, @cricbuzz/X]

While we never get tired of celebrating the Gabba heroics, we seldom give credit to the drawn affair at the SCG preceding the Brisbane clash. Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin, two players who couldn’t play the final Test back then, were the chief architects of a hard-fought stalemate that set the foundation for an iconic finish to the tour. 

Now, as the caravan shifts to The Oval, India must be high on confidence following the drawn game in Manchester. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, again two names you would normally not expect to dig it out and defy a relentless bowling attack on a deteriorating pitch, did the job for the Indian team. 

Such efforts not only earn the players accolades but also motivate their teammates to take the challenge head-on and prove their critics wrong. The team spirit reaches its zenith, and the courage to continue despite persistent physical and mental exhaustion is instilled. 

India’s Time To Replicate Gabba Success At Kennington Oval 

Although Kennington Oval hasn’t been a fortress for England, very few people would’ve thought that India would enter the historic venue with the series still hanging in the balance. Considering India’s transition and England’s tried-and-tested Bazball approach, India didn’t stand a chance of staying alive until the finale and making the decider worth waiting for. 

But as things stand, Shubman Gill’s new-age India has not only given England a run for their money but also proved why the hosts must not take them lightly. 

It’s only the first match at Headingley where India got comprehensively outplayed, and, honestly speaking, this is a serious stat to maintain for a team undergoing transition in a five-Test series. 

Living in the present is crucial, but the past must not be forgotten. India’s past teaches them to fight and conquer opponents with sheer skill and resilience. 

Victories like the Gabba 2021 make even the SCG draws worth reminiscing about. So, England must be very aware, with India having historic glory as a target to hit at point-blank. 

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