The 2021 Gabba Test between India and Australia has etched its place in cricketing history, especially with Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 89 leading India to a 2-1 series win. This series also saw India bounce back from a humiliating 36 all out in the first Test to clinch the series at Gabba with a depleted squad.
Two years after this historic achievement, Pant spoke exclusively to Star Sports about the final Test match of the series.
“That’s just the thing, cricket is not just a game, it’s an emotion. Everyone who was watching the match got so involved, I mean it wasn’t madness; every defense and every shot were cheered for by the team. To play such a match is a different feeling altogether. That everyone has unified and come together to play, especially Ashwin’s performance,” he said.
The wicketkeeper batter, who is currently recovering from a horrific accident in 2022, revealed that it was a dream come true to play a pivotal role in winning the series, especially after not featuring in the first match.
He said, “I didn’t even know how to react when we won the game. I was playing the game with the desire to win, but I didn’t want to get excited too much. It was a fun game to play, but it was very important for me because I didn’t get to play in One Days or T20’s; even Tests didn’t have a spot for me. So I thought to myself that this cannot happen; I have an expectation from myself that you have to be strong. And I didn’t even play the first match, so it was like a dream come true that I had won the game myself; I had won the Series. So I was telling myself that I need to chase this feeling. This is where self-belief comes into play, that when no one is believing in you, you still trust yourself and your abilities,” Pant said.