I’ll talk all day Mate… Wait until you get to the Gabba, pal.
Tim Paine (Captain, Australia Cricket Team)
“…
I don’t wanna talk
About things we’ve gone through
Though it’s hurting me
Now it’s history
…
The winner takes it all
The loser has to fall
It’s simple and it’s plain
Why should I complain?
…”
– ABBA (1980)
Doesn’t a piece of ABBA history resonate with what was created at The Gabba? In hindsight, little did Australia captain Tim Paine realize this intuition when he sorely attempted to sledge-roast Ravi Ashwin at SCG. Little did Cricket Australia think-tank know they had a man in charge who could neither wrest control of his tongue nor inspire and shepherd his men to produce desired results.
The record books will indeed ink this series as 2-1 in favor of Team India. I reckon the margin was much wider, technically and philosophically as well. When Ashwin and Vihari soaked in the ice-pack after a scintillating draw in Sydney, India was still 1-1 on the board, yet they were up 2-1 morally. When Pant drilled that belligerent drive to register a historic win at the Gabba – the men in Byju’s branded bluish-whites won by a whopping margin of 4-1, sentimentally.
It was just one session of the entire series that Team India put a miserable performance to get beaten squarely. Clearly that debacle seems to have planted two different seeds. One of a mirage – bloated confidence and anti-momentum within Team Australia. Another of resurgence – grit and perseverance in Team India.
In the annals of India Cricket history the thumping Gabba win of 2021 would be the Test Cricket equivalent of Lords 1983; the series Down Under would be the Test Cricket equivalent of Prudential World Cup campaign. If Kapil’s devils conquered the Caribbean calypso, it was Ajinkya’s avengers that thoroughly dominated Australia in its backyard. Two contrasting eras, one converging outcome, all in one common color – pristine whites.
Can this historic win have an enduring Miandad-esque effect on Team India’s psychological dominance in the long run? That last ball six from Javed Miandad at the dusty desert bowl in Sharjah April 1986, handed an overwhelming dominance of Pakistan over India for virtually a decade. So the answer lies in Team India’s back-office strategy and approach to managing a newfound success. One place to start when England arrive in February – sustain the momentum, and more importantly retain the side; instill trust and confidence in the rookie bunch, while the returning seniors can warm the bench, for a bit.
Until then…uncork the champagne, double the celebration and halve any complacency. Kudos, Team India!