4th Test: India pull off possibly their greatest Test victory in Australia

Injury-hit India team rose from the ashes to hold on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in one of the greatest Test victories against Australia

Injury-hit India team rose from the ashes to hold on to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in one of the greatest Test victories against Australia.

India scripted a story of grit, guts and glory at Brisbane Test as it scored 329 against Australia.

India beat Australia by three wickets in the fourth Test in Brisbane, pulling off a record run-chase in a thrilling final session to hand Australia their first defeat at Brisbane's Gabba ground since 1988.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) tweeted that after the hard-fought win at The Gabba, India move to the No.1 spot in ICC World Test Championship standings.

A fearless India, driven by its courageous youngsters, pulled of an exhilarating three-wicket win over Australia in the fourth Test to claim the series 2-1 and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy here on Tuesday.

Resuming at four for none on the final day, India overhauled the target with 18 balls to spare in a match that went down to the wire.

Read | 1988: When Aus last lost reign over its Gabba fortress

The visitors, ravaged by injuries and captain Virat Kohli's absence for paternity leave, then batted throughout the final day to draw the third Test in Sydney.

Man-of-the-match Pant, who played a similar innings in the drawn Sydney Test, blasted his 89 from 138 balls with nine fours and a six.

His innings followed an equally impressive knock from 21-year-old Shubman Gill, who made 91 at the top of the order earlier in the day.

Cheteshwar Pujara's 56 was also vital, the gritty number three hit 10 times by Australia's quicks, taking blows to the fingers, arm, ribs and head as he was subjected to a searching examination by Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

Cummins with 4-55 was easily the pick of the Australian attack, sending down 24 overs of pace and hostility, but the rest of the bowlers looked fatigued after bowling all day in Sydney just eight days ago.

Despite Australia's fearsome record at the Gabba, the Indian batsmen showed no fear and never looked interested in playing for a draw, even after losing the wickets of Pujara and Mayank Agarwal after tea.

Pant took advantage of any loose ball, but also played some outrageous strokes, showing the influence T20 cricket has had on Tests.

India started the morning on four for no loss after bowling Australia out for 294 just before rain stopped play late on the fourth day.

Australia's hopes of a series-clinching victory were raised early when Cummins drew Rohit Sharma forward to a ball that caught the outside edge, Tim Paine taking a fine diving catch in front of first slip.

But as India have shown since their capitulation in Adelaide, when they were bowled out for 36, they are never out of the contest.

Their effort in the fourth Test is even more admirable considering the high injury toll on tour.

Their bowling attack was led by Mohammad Siraj, who debuted in Melbourne, supported by Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, T. Natarajan and Washington Sundar, who had two Tests between them heading into Brisbane.

The tourists were without the services of front-line seamers Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav and Japrit Bumrah and regular spin bowlers Ravi Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin.

They were also missing regular captain Kohli, who went home after the first Test to be with his wife for the birth of his first child.

After just one wicket in the first session, Australia could only manage two after lunch, with Gill falling for his superb 91 and skipper Ajinkya Rahane a quickfire 24.

Gill was magnificent on a fifth-day wicket, smashing the Australian bowlers to all corners of the ground.

He hit eight fours and two towering sixes in his 146-ball innings before he became Nathan Lyon's 398th Test victim, edging an arm ball to first slip where Steve Smith took a sharp catch.

With Pujara putting down the anchor at one end, Rahane raced to 24 from just 22 balls.

But trying to glide a Cummins short ball over the slips, he only managed to get a faint edge to Australian 'keeper Tim Paine to leave India 167 for three.

India looked in control through the final session and despite three wickets falling in the last hour, they cruised home with three overs to spare, Pant hitting the winning four off Hazlewood.

PM Modi extends congratulations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the India team for their "remarkable energy and passion."We are all overjoyed at the success of the Indian Cricket Team in Australia. Their remarkable energy and passion was visible throughout. So was their stellar intent, remarkable grit and determination. Congratulations to the team! Best wishes for your future endeavours," he said in a tweet.

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah announced Rs 5 crore bonus for the Indian cricket team. He lauded the "outstanding display of character" by the the team in the win against Australia.

(With agency inputs)