Rishabh Pant Ravi Shastri Rohit Sharma Ravichandran Ashwin. Image Credits: AFP/X
During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020/21, India secured a historic series win by clinching the final Test at the Gabba in what turned out to be a remarkable chase, and apparently, Rohit Sharma had a big role to play in it.
In the fourth Test at the Gabba, India had to chase down over 300 runs on Day 5, where Shubman Gill laid a solid foundation with a 91-run knock before Cheteshwar Pujara absorbed relentless punishment to keep India in the contest.
Rohit Sharma backed Rishabh Pant for the Gabba chase
However, the target was still far away, and overcast weather was assisting Australia heavily. That put a doubt in head coach Ravi Shastri’s mind, as he apparently wanted to play for a draw.
During the ESPN Cricinfo awards, former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who was a part of that winning squad, revealed that it was actually Rohit Sharma who backed Rishabh Pant to approach the chase to win and not draw.
Even though Shastri was not on board with the plan and wanted to settle for a draw to save the series, Rohit backed Pant wholeheartedly, and the rest is history.
“We were having that weather blogging on one side and the other side with Ravi bhai’s ups and downs. That’s the beauty of Test cricket. In the latter part of the game, Rohit wanted Rishabh to go for the win. Ravi bhai wanted to play for the draw, and it just kept flowing for the next two hours. Great Test match,” Ravichandran Ashwin said.
Watch the video below:
Rishabh Pant eventually listened to Rohit Sharma and remained unbeaten on 89 and guided India to a memorable three-wicket victory, ending Australia's 32-year unbeaten run at the Gabba.
Also Read - "Virat Kohli Was Pulled Back"- Ravi Shastri’s Shocking Revelation
Rohit Sharma’s record in BGT 2020-21
Meanwhile, as a batter, Rohit Sharma didn’t make much of a contribution during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21. In 4 innings, he scored 129 runs at an average of 32.25, including a single fifty.
He played just two out of the four Tests and had a limited contribution in India’s historic triumph. However, in the dressing room, Rohit Sharma took the lead in Virat Kohli’s absence.
He backed the youngsters and gave crucial tactical inputs to help India make an informed decision about their approach at the Gabba.
Why was the BGT 2020-21 special?
The historic Gabba victory sealed a 2-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph for India and is widely regarded as one of the greatest overseas Test victories ever achieved by an Indian team.
The achievement was made even more remarkable by the number of injuries India endured throughout the series, forcing several inexperienced players to step into key roles.
Virat Kohli had left the team due to personal reasons, and Ajinkya Rahane stepped in as captain. Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah and a lot of players were injured for the Gabba game. But the young guns stepped up and turned it into a historic outing.
Also Read - Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Pitch Report, Weather Report for RCB Vs GT Final, IPL 2026
