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Cricket Players'Best innings from a touring side': Ex-Australia bowler lauds India batter's knock at Gabba after ENG's Ashes thrashing
Former Australia spinner, while highlighting England's batting woes at the Gabba in the first Ashes Test against Australia, spoke in rich praise of India batter Rishabh Pant and his match-winning 89 not-out during their series earlier in 2021.
It's not easy to breach the Australians at the Gabba. And Australia's dominating 9-wicket win over England in the first Ashes Test only bears testament to the challenge that the touring sides face. Which is why, India's historic win earlier in 2021 was all the more special and it only reiterates why their series-sealing triumph should be praised for years to come.
One of the main architects of that win was Rishabh Pant as hit an unbeaten 89 in the fourth innings to help India to 329 and seal a three-wicket win. Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg, while analysing England's performance, called Pant's innings the “best by a touring side”.
"Pant's innings out at the Gabba was one of the best Test innings under pressure I have ever seen. It was fantastic, it was brilliant and it just annihilated the Australian attack.
"But when I look at this particular Test match right now, the Root and Malan innings to fight England back into the contest and set this up today, the fourth day, to give England a chance to put up a total on the board and to trouble Australia, I thought that was brilliant counteract of innings as well. Malan and Root were special but the way Pant annihilated Australia and took the game home with that 89 not-out was better than those two and probably the best innings we have seen out at the Gabba from a touring team," explained Hogg.
England were bowled out for 147 in the first innings and could only score 297 in the second. Despite Joe Root (89) and Dawid Malan's (82) gritty 162-run stand, the Englishmen could only set the Aussies a target of 20.
India, on the other hand, became the first team in 33 years to beat the hosts in that Brisbane venue and Pant's magnificent, Player of the Match-winning knock, was all the more special.
