Subhayan Chakraborty in Brisbane
The Gabba isn’t the Gabbatoir anymore. Australia have lost two out of the last four matches they’ve played at this iconic venue. The last time they played here, they were blown away by West Indies’ Shamar Joseph with the pink ball. Now, with the ball back to red and the match scheduled in the pre-Christmas phase, where Australia has traditionally dominated on fresher pitches, the series against India stands at 1-1. The Gabba Test could decide the final result. Both India and Australia have their strengths and weaknesses, but by no means are either perfect sides.
The batting of both has been inconsistent. Their top players aren’t in the best form. Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja haven’t performed in this series, while Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney, both Queensland locals, got their first taste of runs in Adelaide. For India, Rohit Sharma is out of form, Shubman Gill hasn’t scored big, Rishabh Pant is due for a significant knock, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul haven’t been able to score consistently.
On Thursday, the Indian heroes from their last Gabba outing – Gill and Pant – took centre stage at the nets. They interchanged roles, facing throwdowns and a few traveling pacers including Navdeep Saini and Yash Dayal. The last time India played at the Gabba, Gill and Pant, supported by Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and Washington Sundar, helped the visitors script arguably the greatest Test win in their history.
The memories here contrast sharply with those from Adelaide, where India suffered a 10-wicket defeat in the second Test, with the infamous 36 all out from 2020 still fresh in the minds of the players involved. However, at the Gabba, the scenario is the complete opposite.
When Gill was asked about revisiting the Gabba almost four years after the historic win, the 25-year-old said, “Definitely very nostalgic when I came here. Just walking through the stadium again after the 2021 win felt very nostalgic. I definitely feel pretty confident playing here.”
As the Gabba Test approaches, India have some decisions to make. Will the Gautam Gambhir-led team management support Harshit Rana after he was taken to the cleaners by Travis Head and then faced a barrage of bouncers, or will they give the nod to Akash Deep, who has been impressive at the nets? With plenty of grass on a pitch promising true bounce, Harshit might get another chance to seek redemption and help India take a 2-1 lead. There’s also a question mark on the batting position of captain Rohit Sharma. Will he open, will he bat at No. 6?
India also haven’t settled on their sole spinner. Sundar played in Perth but was dropped for Ravichandran Ashwin in Adelaide. Could Ravindra Jadeja be tried at the Gabba? With minimal turn expected and the pitch unlikely to deteriorate much, India might opt for a defensive approach, choosing either Sundar or Jadeja to hold up one end. Both offer batting solidity, which could stabilise India’s crumbling top and middle order. Jadeja was spotted at the nets on the eve of the match, practicing against throwdowns from Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate. He appeared in better spirits in Brisbane compared to Perth or Adelaide. Is that a sign?
With Gill stating that from now on, India would treat this series as a three-match affair, the Gabba Test will determine who takes the initiative as the series progresses into its latter stages.