Rishabh Pant has unleashed a T20-style batting assault to fire India to an incredible three-wicket win in the fourth-test decider, as Ajinkya Rahane's injury-ravaged tourists humbled Australia with a 2-1 series triumph.
The wicketkeeper-batsman swung for the fences in an extraordinary 89 in 138 balls, as India galloped to a record 328-run chase at Brisbane's GABBA, becoming the first team since the West Indies in 1988 to beat Australia at their stronghold.
With regular captain Virat Kohli back home and deploying an attack of raw recruits, India mowed down 145 runs after tea to claim the win, when Pant smashed Josh Hazlewood to the fence for four with 18 balls to spare.
Pant's stellar innings was only one of a slew of heroic efforts by the Indian side, with a battered Cheteshwar Pujara and opener Shubman Gill helping them chase down the total with brave knocks.
India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, two years after beating Australia in the 2018/19 series downunder.
Gill fell short of a brilliant century, when spinner Nathan Lyon ended his sparkling knock at 91 and Pat Cummins had stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane caught behind for a rapid-fire 24, but Pujara survived a vicious pace assault, as India pushed to 183/3 at tea.
Pujara was 43 not out on a hot and sunny afternoon, with Pant on 10.
Pant was promoted ahead of Mayank Agarwal, as India signalled their intent to push for the win.
The previous highest successful chase in a GABBA test was in 1951, when Australia finished 236/7, but there have been big scores in recent years. In 2016, Pakistan racked up 450 in the fourth innings at the ground in a lost cause.
India resumed on 83/1 after lunch and 21-year-old Gill picked up where he had left off, punishing Australia's bowlers with raw aggression.
Smashing an injury-hampered Mitchell Starc for a six and two fours in three balls, Gill also took to Lyon with gusto.
His brilliant 146-ball knock finally ended, when he prodded at a Lyon delivery that pitched wide and sent a nick to the safe hands of Steve Smith at slip.
Rahane came out with a similar mindset and raced to 24 off 22 balls, before Cummins removed him with a short ball that clipped the top edge of the captain's bat, as he tried to duck under it.
The courageous Pujara endured a torrid time at the crease, receiving several blows to the helmet and body.
He was assessed twice by the team doctor and had the stem guard knocked off his helmet, when paceman Josh Hazlewood fired a bouncer at his head.
The frustrated Hazlewood offered no sympathy, instead yelling: "Feel that one?"
Cummins took the early wicket, coaxing Rohit Sharma forward to catch a thick edge to be out for seven, with Paine diving to his right to take the catch.
Gill survived a big appeal for leg before wicket, after not playing a shot when on 30 against Lyon.
Given not out, Australia reviewed the decision. With the ball-tracking technology showing the delivery grazing the top of leg-stump, the decision was deemed 'umpire's call' and Gill survived.
A desperate Australia later squandered a review seeking to overturn a not-out decision for lbw on Rahane, when Lyon rapped his pads and the batsman was on one run.
After tea, the Aussies finally prised Pujara out, leg before wicket, for 56 off 211 balls, Mayank Agarwal (9), Washington Sundar (22) and Shardul Thakur (2).
Shardul's depature came with just three runs required for victory and Pant avoided any further nerves by stroking the winning four two balls later.
Success puts India atop the world test championship table and may be enough to see them past New Zealand for the No.1 world ranking.
Reuters/Newshub
