The Gabba has long been a fortress for the hosting Australians. The Baggy Greens went a mighty 32 years without defeat in the amphitheater between November 1982 and January 2021, winning all but seven of the 31 matches that were played there during that time frame. However, as the Aussies' crunch clash against India looms in the Land Down Under this winter, Steve Smith and Co. head to their once-feared stadium with two defeats in their last four.
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| Image source : Josh Withers / Unsplash |
Brisbane, home of the Gabba, is a proud sporting city. It saw dirtbike rider Harry Bink complete the first-ever triple flip at the Nitro Games back in 2022, as well as witnessing the Matildas' famous penalty shootout victory against France in the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. This year, all eyes are on the potentially pivotal third test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, a contest that takes place between 14–18 December, one week before the famed Boxing Day Test.
The visiting Men In Blue were one of the most recent teams to head to the Gabba and pick up a result. But who joins them on that list? Let's find out.
Eight-Run Thriller
Australia's most recent defeat at the Gabba came in a thrilling encounter that took place this January. The West Indies headed Down Under looking to channel their golden era and pick up a famous victory, their first in Brisbane for 27 years. However, with them sitting way down in eighth in the World Rankings at the time and with the hosts the number one test match team in the world, they weren't given much of a hope of victory.
The contest match was marked by a dramatic series of events, with West Indies initially setting a modest target only rescued by a decent innings from their middle order, even though no one managed to pick up even a half-century. That left the hosts requiring 216 to win on day four, and they looked well on course for victory at 113/3. But in a remarkable turn of events, Shamar Joseph emerged as the hero for the tourists with a remarkable bowling performance.
Despite being injured batting the previous day, the Windies paceman still managed to find the reserves to bowl a scintillating 12 overs that ended up being match-winning. He tore through the Australian middle order to pick up figures of 7/68, finally dispatching Josh Hazlewood for a duck with his side nine runs shy of their target.
Pant's Heroics Seal Historic Win
The 2021 Test against India was part of the famous Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, where India secured a historic series win on Australian soil for the first time. The Gabba was the site of the deciding test match, a ground where the Aussies hadn't lost since 1988, but it became the site of arguably the Men in Blue's finest hour.
Chasing a daunting target of 328 runs with just one day to play, many thought that an injury-ravaged India team missing the talismanic Virat Kohli would attempt to hang on for the draw. Instead, however, Shubman Gill set the tone early that his side was going for the win, and his impressive 91 set them well on their way. Once he was dismissed by Nathan Lyon, India sat at 132/2 and victory was in sight. Step up, Rishabh Pant.
The mercurial batsman picked up where Gill left off, hitting an unbeaten 89 to steer his side to a famous victory with three overs to spare. The win handed India a 2-1 series victory, their first on Australian soil and maybe their greatest ever.
Faf du Plessis Arrives
In November 2012, South Africa managed to draw the Test match against Australia, largely thanks to Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers. Making his Test debut, du Plessis played a remarkable innings in the second innings to save the match for South Africa.
Set a challenging target, South Africa found themselves in a precarious position, but du Plessis displayed immense grit and determination, scoring an unbeaten 110 off 376 balls. AB de Villiers also played a critical role with a stoic 33 off 220 deliveries. Their efforts ensured that South Africa batted out the final day, securing a draw and demonstrating the depth and resilience of their batting lineup.
Cook Leads Ashes Fight Back
The Ashes series is perhaps the most anticipated contest in all of cricket, with old rivals England and Australia squaring off. Over the years, the Gabba test has been practically a guaranteed win for the hosts, and that looked to be the case in 2010 when a birthday hat trick from Peter Siddle helped whittle the tourists all out for a paltry 260. The hosts then piled on a mighty 481 and they looked to be on course for a lopsided victory to begin the series.
But despite conceding a huge first-innings lead, England's batting in the second innings was defiant. Openers Alistair Cook and Andrew Strauss both scored blistering centuries, with the former batting for a mighty ten hours en route to a score of 235. When Strauss was stumped by Brad Haddin off the bowling of Marcus North, the Aussies in attendance thought that the door had opened and that victory was possible.
Unfortunately for them, number three Jonathan Trott also got in on the act. He hit a brilliant 135 to help England to a stunning score of 517/1, and with time running out, Australia never got a chance to chase it down. England secured a famous draw, and that was the beginning of an unbelievable 3-1 series victory, England's first on Australian soil in 24 years.
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