Indian off-spinner R Ashwin has revealed that during Day 5 of the famous Gabba Test between India and Australia in 2021 everyone in the dressing room had different plan on approaching the match as everything hinged on Rishabh Pant’s batting after Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara had set a strong foundation.
After Australia set a target of 329 for India to chase, the visitors lost Rohit Sharma early on Day 5. However, Gill (91) and Pujara (56) scored at brisk pace for Pant to eventually take charge and he didn’t disappoint. The Indian wicket-keeper, who was ably supported by Washington Sundar, ended up with a gutsy innings of 89 not out, guiding India to a memorable 2-1 series win.
During a conversation with Sports Yaari, Ashwin, who also played a major role in the series win, revealed that then-head coach Ravi Shastri had actually wanted a draw.
“In this Test (fourth Test at Gabba), Ravi Bhai wanted a draw. Because we could’ve drawn the match. But everyone had a different plan! I asked Jinx, ‘are we going for a win?’ and he said, ‘He (Rishabh Pant) is playing his own game. We will see how it goes’,” Ashwin said.
“The moment Washi (Washington Sundar) went in and scored brisk 20 odd runs, our plan changed. Washi made a very important contribution as well,” he added.
Crediting Pant for the win, Ashwin said that Pant’s aggressive mindset is not only suitable for the white-ball format but has also immensely helped him in red-ball cricket.
“It’s very difficult to understand what’s going on in his (Pant’s) mind. He can do anything. He’s so incredibly blessed with ability that he thinks he can hit a six every ball. Sometimes, it’s difficult to keep him calm. In Sydney, Puji tried to keep him calm but he eventually missed the century,” he said.
