Border-Gavaskar Trophy: History from 1996, India's Historic 2020/21 Win Without Kohli, and the Series' Significance
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is the bilateral Test series between India and Australia, named after Allan Border (Australia) and Sunil Gavaskar (India). Inaugurated in 1996, the trophy has been contested 16 times up to 2023. India's 2020/21 series win in Australia — achieved 2-1 — is considered one of the greatest Test series wins in history: the touring squad was decimated by injuries, Virat Kohli left after the first Test for paternity leave, and rookies Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar, T. Natarajan, and Mohammed Siraj played decisive roles in the comeback. The Gabba victory in Brisbane — India's first there since 1988 — ended the series.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy began in India in 1996, when India toured Australia (1996) and Australia toured India (1998) as the first two bilateral series under the trophy name. Named for the captains most identified with their nations' Test cricketing identity — Allan Border, Australia's great defensive anchor, and Sunil Gavaskar, India's first modern batting great — the trophy has become one of the two most significant Test series in the world alongside the Ashes.
The 2020/21 Series: India's Greatest Away Win
The 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy began disastrously for India. In the first Test (day-night, Adelaide), India were bowled out for 36 in their second innings — their lowest-ever Test score — and lost by 8 wickets. Virat Kohli, India's captain, flew home after the first Test for the birth of his daughter. In the second Test at Melbourne, India recovered to win by 8 wickets, led by Ajinkya Rahane's century. By the third Test at the SCG (Sydney), India were playing with a heavily depleted squad: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, and Hanuma Vihari were all injured. India batted 256 overs in their second innings at the SCG to draw the match, with Vihari (23* from 161 balls) batting on a hamstring injury. The fourth Test at the Gabba in Brisbane — the venue Australia had not lost at since 1988 — saw India win by 3 wickets, led by Rishabh Pant's 89* from 138 balls in the fourth innings.
Gabba 2021: Pant, Siraj, Gill, and the Debutants
India's victory at the Gabba was built on outstanding individual performances from players with little or no Test experience. Shubman Gill (91 from 146 balls) and Cheteshwar Pujara (56 from 211 balls, absorbing 40+ bouncers to his body) set up the chase of 328. Pant's 89* in 138 balls, including the decisive boundary off Pat Cummins to win the match, was his finest Test innings. Mohammed Siraj, making his debut series, had been targeted by crowd racism at the SCG (the match was halted) and delivered 5/73 in the Brisbane first innings. Washington Sundar (62* batting in his debut Test) and Shardul Thakur (67, also debut match) had contributed a partnership of 123 for the seventh wicket in the first innings. The series win — 2-1 — was India's second consecutive away series win in Australia (they had also won 2-1 in 2018/19), the first time India had won back-to-back Test series in Australia.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the 2020/21 India series win in Australia considered among the greatest series victories in Test cricket history, and how did the injury-depleted squad manage to win?
The 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series win is considered exceptional for the convergence of adversity, competition level, and comeback margin that characterised it. The scale of the adversity: India lost Virat Kohli (their captain and best batter) after the first Test, then lost Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Hanuma Vihari (to injuries during the third Test), and KL Rahul to various injuries across the series. By the fourth Test at the Gabba, India were effectively playing with a second-tier squad. The team India fielded in the fourth Test at the Gabba — Gill (Test debut series), Washington Sundar (debut), T. Natarajan (debut), Mohammed Siraj (debut series) — had combined Test experience of fewer than five matches across the bowling attack. The quality of the opposition: Australia were playing at full strength, led by Tim Paine, with a bowling attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon — arguably their best bowling combination in a generation. The Gabba was Australia's home fortress since 1988; they had not lost there in 32 years. The statistical improbability of the win: India needed 328 to win in the fourth innings of a Test at the Gabba, against the best Australian home attack in decades. Successful fourth-innings chases of 320+ at the Gabba had happened only twice previously. The key moments in the series: the SCG draw was the first critical act — Vihari and Ashwin batted for 45 overs together with both injured, saving the match from what would have been a match-losing situation. Without the SCG draw, India would have arrived at the Gabba needing to win to level the series, psychologically similar to 2011/12 when a draw was adequate. The Gabba fourth-day session — Gill 91, Pujara's absorption of short-pitched bowling while Pant played freely — exemplified the batting combination that made the chase possible. Pant's stated approach for the fourth innings (positive intent, trusting his instincts) contrasted with the defensive mindset Australia expected from a depleted Indian team facing a 328 target.