April 13, 1994. England defeated the West Indies by 208 runs at Bridgetown, Barbados. It was the first loss that West Indies had suffered in 59 years in their fortress of the Kensington Oval. The after-effects would be dramatic. West Indies would go on to lose a series against Australia for the first time in 21 years and since then, they have never been the same again. If there was one starting point of the decline of West Indies cricket, it started on April 13, 1994 in Barbados. 27 years later, on January 19, 2021, in the fast-fading light of the Gabba, the Indian cricket team finally ended the last big fortress in world cricket as they defeated Australia by three wickets to end Australia's 32-year run at the Gabba.
When Rishabh Pant hit Josh Hazlewood for a boundary to long-off, the Gabbatoir had been breached. It was no longer Australia's fortress. In one stroke, the Australian fortress had crumbled. Pound to dust by an Indian cricket team. The result will hurt Tim Paine's Australia even more. There was no Virat Kohli, no Mohammed Shami, no Jasprit Bumrah and no Ravichandran Ashwin. India did not have experience in bowling. Australia's bowling had over 250 Tests of experience and over 1000 wickets. Yet, in the Gabba, in their own fortress, India outbowled and finally when it mattered, India out batted Australia. In 1977 and 2014, India fell short by 16 and 48 runs in Brisbane and Adelaide when they had to chase 350. But, in 2021, India finally chased down 328 and won a series for the second consecutive time in Australia.
Australia will be hurt
In 2018/19, Australia did not have the services of David Warner and Steve Smith. It was their weak batting that saw them losing the series 1-2. In 2020/21, they had Steve Smith, they had Marnus Labuschagne. David Warner was injured and did not look his best. Their bowling unit was the best as compared to India. Australia had them on the mat mentally after blasting them out for 36 in Adelaide on December 19, 2020. Yet, Australia lost. Yet, Australia lost in their fortress. This is the class of the Indian cricket team of 2020/21, a brash new India as compared to the weak 80s and 90s.
In the aftermath of Sydney, with Australia's 18-month 'nice guy' image taking a battering after the draw in Sydney and with this loss in Brisbane, Australia's fortunes will now take a big hit. Just like the Barbados loss started the decline for West Indies cricket, the Brisbane loss could signal the true end of Australia's dominance at home. When Australia lost for the first time in 15 years against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2008, a mock obituary was written in many Australian media outlets. When India beat them for the first time in 2018/19, the name was engraved on the tombstone. Now, in 2020/21, Australian cricket can finally RIP in their once-called fortress of The Gabba. When Australia lost for the first time at home after 16 years, the Proteas sang 'You ain't singing anymore'. Now, in 2021, after breaching Gabba, the Indian cricket team could very well be singing, "You ain't sledging anymore'.
