India head coach Ravi Shastri believes that opener Shubman Gill's knock had set the platform for India's win at The Gabba before Rishabh Pant's heroics came in handy to help the visitors clinch a remarkable Test series win on Tuesday.
Gill had taken on the Australian bowlers smashing 20 runs off a Mitchell Starc over, hitting three consecutive boundaries, to set the tone at the top of the innings. Pant then played a responsible knock of 89 to help India breach Australia's fortress.
Coach Shastri praised Gill for his outstanding knock in the second essay and said Pant was always chasing the target in his mind.
"I think right from the beginning, we had a chat with Jinks (Rahane) and support staff that let's play normal cricket and natural game. Don't put or try and manufacture something but try and set the game up. Take it session by session and then if you have wickets in hand then you can take it," Shastri told the media during the virtual press conference.
"But the innings Gill played really set the platform for the win because it was an outstanding innings. He is on his first tour of Australia, bouncy Gabba track. He got the momentum going and then there was Rishabh Pant you cannot change his style of playing in his mind he was always chasing. He had some other ideas," he added.
Gill fell nine runs short of his maiden Test hundred but made sure India was right on track to win the series decider before his departure. Ajinkya Rahane captained the side in regular skipper Virat Kohli's absence as he was granted paternity leave by the BCCI.
Talking about the team's character in the absence of Kohli, Shastri said, "Feeling defeated is one thing but giving up isn't in our vocabulary, the team showed it. Virat may not be here but his character & personality stamp is there for everyone to see in the team. For Ajinkya to take over the way he did was simply unreal."
With this classic victory over Australia, India has moved to the top of the ICC World Test Championship standings.
( With inputs from ANI )
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