Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020–21

Tournament Overview

Series Overview

The 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy stands as one of the greatest series victories in Test cricket history, achieved against every conceivable obstacle. India lost the first Test in Adelaide — a day-night match — by 8 wickets after being bowled out for 36 in their second innings: their lowest ever Test total. Virat Kohli then flew home for the birth of his child, leaving an injury-ravaged squad to defend the series under new captain Ajinkya Rahane. The Indian management was forced to call up young, uncapped players as their bowling attack was decimated by injuries — including Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Hanuma Vihari, who all spent time off the field injured. Yet India found a way. They won the second Test in Melbourne under Rahane's brilliant captaincy — he scored a century himself — and drew the third in Sydney in a famous rearguard where Vihari and Ashwin batted through pain with injured hands. Then came Brisbane, and Rishabh Pant. Australia had not lost at the Gabba since 1988 — 32 years of fortress cricket. India needed 328 runs on the final day against Australia's full-strength attack. Shubman Gill played one of the great debut innings (91), and then Pant, dismissed in the previous three Tests without a significant score, attacked from the first ball. His unbeaten 89 off 138 balls, culminating in a boundary driven through the offside to win the series, was as iconic a moment as Test cricket has produced in a generation.

Key Highlights

• 1India breached Australia's Gabba fortress — unbeaten at Brisbane since 1988 — to win the series
• 2An injury-depleted India chased 328 in the fourth Test, winning by 3 wickets in one of cricket's greatest Test victories
• 3Rishabh Pant scored an unbeaten 89 in the Gabba chase, hitting the winning boundary in the final session
• 4Shubman Gill scored 91 to set up the chase with a brilliant opening partnership
• 5India were dismissed for 36 in Adelaide in the second Test — their lowest ever Test innings

Teams

Explore

Series Archive