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India all-rounder Shardul Thakur has opened up about the pivotal role Rohit Sharma played in his memorable innings at the Gabba during India’s iconic Test win over Australia in 2021. Thakur forged a game-changing 123-run partnership with Washington Sundar for the seventh wicket to help the Indian team close in on Australia’s first innings total of 369.
Shardul Thakur entered the phase when India were struggling at 186/6, but the all-rounder showed tremendous composure and aggression and went on to play a superb knock of 67 off 115 balls, including nine boundaries and two sixes at The Gabba, despite being played only his second Test.
Shardul Thakur reveals the important role of Rohit Sharma in his iconic Gabba knock
Thakur recently reflected on his memorable innings at The Gabba, when he revealed that Rohit Sharma used subtle sign language from the dugout to guide him during crucial moments in the fourth Test against Australia in Brisbane.
Shardul further noted that Sharma was used to cue him when bowlers were tired or nearing the end of their spells, helping the Mumbai cricketer time his aggression wisely and keep focus on Australia’s formidable bowling attack during the 2020-21 India tour.
Rohit was speaking to me in sign language from the dugout: Shardul Thakur
The Cricket Monthly quoted Shardul Thakur as saying, “Rohit was speaking to me in sign language from the dugout. He would indicate when the bowler was tired or nearing the end of his spell. Like, I think it happened when Hazlewood was nearing the end of his spell. Rohit asked me to wait and not push to play shots.”
Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur, who went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction, also shared a moment from the second innings, where he missed a chance to end the game as Josh Hazlewood dismissed him cheaply for 2 runs, leading to a harsh word from the Indian captain Rohit Sharma.
As I walked towards the dugout, Rohit chided me for not finishing the game: Thakur
Riding high on confidence after his heroics in the first innings, Thakur attempted an ambitious shot and was dismissed by Hazlewood at The Gabba. However, Rishabh Pant’s legendary knock of 89* runs managed to take India over the boundary and they made history by winning the Test match by three wickets.
He signed off by saying, “I had a lot of confidence from my first innings performance. Unfortunately, trying to hit over the side of my leg, I hit it off the top. I chose two pieces of a similar type of delivery, which I removed from the sides. The pressure was strong again. As I walked towards the floor, Rohit scolded me for not finishing but I defended myself saying that I did not play rashly.”
Namely, the 2021 Gabba Test remains one of the most iconic moments in the history of Indian cricket and currently Rohit Sharma and his team face the mighty Aussies at the same venue in the third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. However, it remains to be seen whether India will repeat that historic triumph at the Australian side.
