India storm fortress Gabba

India has performed a miracle. A ragged, embattled and depleted group has embarrassed a full strength Australia.

Rishabh Pant plays a ramp shot during his daredevil innings as India pulled off an against-the-odds victory at the Gabba Picture: Getty Images

India has performed a miracle. A ragged, embattled and depleted group has embarrassed a full strength Australia at home to win the series 2-1 and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

On the fifth day of the last Test its batsmen pushed the record for a successful chase at the Gabba out from 236 to 328.

They did it on a ground where Australia has not been beaten since the 1980s.

They did it against a side that boasts the best seam attack in the world.

They did it when nobody gave them a chance.

“This is a magic, magic moment for India,” Sunil Gavaskar, whose name adorns the trophy, said after play.

“Young India has done it. Young India has shown the way. Young India has shown it was not afraid.”

India’s celebrations will be matched by recriminations among the Australian camp. You do not lose two successive Border-Gavaskar trophies at home, you do not lose it against a side which has suffered so much adversity.

India was as fearless as Australia was nervous.

India not only hung on at the Gabba, they thrived. A patchwork quilt of net bowlers, acting captain and inexperienced cricketers, stuck a long way from home and given no chance, faced and countered the might of the home side.

They shifted the cricket world on its axis.

Somehow a team that has been rocked by injuries and used 20 players across four Tests defied the odds to win the series and retain the Border Gavaskar trophy.

The prospect seemed far fetched when Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami waved them goodbye after they were bowled out for 36 at Adelaide.

It seemed hopeless when they had just eight wickets in hand on the fifth day at the SCG.

It was just fantasy to think they could chase down 328 on the last day on a wicket that had cracks and inconsistencies on display the day before. But they did it, scoring 7-329 with wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant (89no from 138 balls) hitting the winning boundary with just 18 deliveries remaining.

Rishabh Pant celebrates with his teammates after steering his team to victory at the Gabba Picture: AFP

Australia’s seam attack is peerless, its spin bowler isn’t bad either, but they could not do the job in Sydney nor at the Gabba.

History is beginning to haunt Paine’s and Justin Langer’s Australians. Not getting the job done from a position of strength in two successive Tests suggests there’s a demon here.

Nobody will ever forget how they let England off the hook at Headingley.

They’re making history this mob, but it is not the kind of history you want to be part of.

This team has had its reputation dented. Under Paine it rebuilt its reputation on and off the field, but the failure to win the result of this series and a few moments of ill temper have shaken confidence.

Where once it was hysterical to question Paine’s leadership now there is a legitimacy to the argument. There’s no need to do anything rash, he is the man to lead them to South Africa in March but his reputation and record are not as unquestionable as they once were.

His batting has been fine, his keeping a little ragged at times, his captaincy tested.

His batsmen let him down in the first innings here and his bowlers could not paper over the cracks.

Nathan Lyon leads the team son in the Australian side. He embodies its spirit and in this series his fortunes have reflected that of the team.

This was to be something of a lap of honour for the dogged off-spinner. His 400th Test wicket was in sight with the possibility he could claim it at the Gabba which would be his 100th Test – if not before.

Lyon, like his side, fell short of the milestone and finished what was supposed to be a celebratory series with nine wickets at an average of 55. That he could only manage two on the last day was confirmation India’s batsmen have his number.

Mitchell Starc’s 11 wickets at 40 was an indication of how he too struggled.

Pat Cummins, however, was tireless and finished with 21 at an average of 20. He was awarded a man of the series trophy on a losing side.

India’s approach to the run chase had something of the tortoise and the hare about it.

The tortoise was, of course, Cheteshwar Pujara whose 174-ball 50 earlier in the series was his slowest of his career but Tuesday’s knock took 196 deliveries.

He anchored the innings while Shubman Gill’s (91 from 146 balls) and man of the match Pant (89no from 138 balls) set it ablaze.

“This is the best day of my life,” Pant said later.

Cummins bowled his heart out. He was impossible to score from early and made breakthroughs which could have been critical if somebody else had gone over the top with him but unfortunately it was a lone hand.

Pat Cummins bowled his heart out to claim the man of the series award Picture: AFP

The paceman took the wicket of Rohit Sharma (7) early on the last day but it was the only wicket in the first session.

Lyon stepped up and removed Gill in the afternoon, well caught by Smith but the only other wicket to fall between the breaks was Ajinkya Rahane (24 from 22 deliveries). The skipper inexplicably tried a ramp shot off Cummins with the score on 166.

Australia had no more success until the new ball was taken when Cummins had Pujara trapped in front for 56 which DRS upheld by the barest of margins.