Hyderabad: Star India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant recalled the incident when Rohit Sharma explained him the significance of his heroics in Gabba, Brisbane to help India register an historic run chase in 2021.
For some time, Pant couldn't understand why fans had gone crazy after his unbeaten 89 against Australia at the Gabba in 2021 until Rohit came towards him and told that his knock was not just another match-winning effort in an epic Test.
Rishabh may not do his own 𝘵𝘢𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘧, but the Aussies certainly did! 😍
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 16, 2024
📽 At the #StarNahiFar event, @RishabhPant17 reacts to the Australian players wishing him to be one of their " blokes"! 😎
📺 watch #AUSvINDOnStar starting NOV 22! | #ToughestRivalry pic.twitter.com/qyc0b1WFGb
India were left with only 10 players as they have to include a traveling net bowler T Natrajan in the squad in place of Jasprit Bumrah for the final Test, in a Covid regulation, without its then regular skipper Virat Kohli, senior player KL Rahul and three main bowlers in the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, and Umesh Yadav, had beaten Australia by three wickets at a venue which was considered a fortress for the home team which hadn't lost a single game there since 1989.
It was a chase of 328, and Pant's counter-attacking knock was not just a match-defining one. It was to find a place among the greatest innings by an Indian in adverse overseas conditions.
"Sometimes, there are performances that you remember for a lifetime, and one of them for me is the Gabba Test," the 27-year-old told Star Sports' 'Star Nahi Far' event.
Initially, it was just satisfaction of winning a tough Test for India but as time went by, Pant understood the magnitude of his achievement, something that Rohit had told him about.
"At the time, I didn't realise how significant it was. Rohit bhai was there, and he told me, 'You have no idea what you've done.' I was like, 'What have I done? My aim was just to win the match.' Rohit bhai said, 'Later, you'll understand what you've done'," he recalled.
"Now, whenever I hear people talking about that Gabba match, I understand what he meant and how important it was," the Delhi player said.
