Brad Hogg, the former Australia spinner, while highlighting England’s batting woes at the Gabba in the first Ashes Test 2021/22 against Australia, spoke in rich praise of India batter Rishabh Pant and his match-winning 89 not-out during their series earlier in 2021.
It’s not easy to breach the Australians at the Gabba as Australia’s dominating 9-wicket win over England in the first Ashes Test only bears testament to the challenge that the touring sides face. Hence, India’s historic win earlier in early 2021 was all the more special and it only reiterates why their series-sealing triumph should be praised for years to come.
Brad Hogg: Rishabh Pant’s Innings One Of The Best Test Innings Under Pressure
One of the main architects of that win was Rishabh Pant as hit an unbeaten 89 in the fourth innings to help India to reach the difficult target of 329 and seal a three-wicket win. Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg, while analyzing England’s performance, called Rishabh Pant’s innings the “best by a touring side”.
“Pant’s innings out at the Gabba was one of the best Test innings under pressure I have ever seen. It was fantastic, it was brilliant and it just annihilated the Australian attack,” explained Brad Hogg.
“But when I look at this particular Test match right now, the Root and Malan innings to fight England back into the contest and set this up today, the fourth day, to give England a chance to put up a total on the board and to trouble Australia, I thought that was brilliant counteract of innings as well,” explained Brad Hogg.
“Malan and Root were special but the way Pant annihilated Australia and took the game home with that 89 not-out was better than those two and probably the best innings we have seen out at the Gabba from a touring team,” explained Brad Hogg.
England was bowled out for 147 in the first innings and could only score 297 in the second. Despite Joe Root’s (89) and Dawid Malan’s (82) gritty 162-run stand, the Englishmen could only set the Aussies a target of 20. Travis Head and David Warner scored 152 and 94 in Australia’s 425. England collapsed from 223-2 to 297 all out on day four as Australia lost a solitary wicket to reach the 20 run target without any major hiccups.
India Became The First Team In 33 Years To Beat Hosts Australia In Brisbane
India, on the other hand, became the first team in 33 years to beat the hosts in that Brisbane venue and Rishabh Pant’s magnificent, Player of the Match-winning knock, was all the more special.
Image Source: AP IMAGE
On January 19, 2021, the world was witness to one of the best days in India’s recent Test cricket history. When openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma came out to bat on the final day of the fourth Test in Brisbane, the odds were stacked in the hosts’ favour.
Australia had not lost at Gabba in the last 32 years and was last defeated by West Indies in 1988. India also missed the likes of Virat Kohli who was on paternity leave, injured Ravindra Jadeja and Hanuma Vihari in the batting line-up, as the stiff target of 328 seemed far away.
But with the help of a brisk inning of 91 from Shubman Gill, rock-solid innings of 56 from Cheteshwar Pujara, a brief cameo of 22 runs from Washington Sundar, and match-winning innings of unbeaten 89 from Rishabh Pant, the visitors picked a memorable 3-wicket win to clinch the series 2-1 despite facing injury concerns.