Three years ago, around this time in January, India did the unthinkable — they stormed the “fortress”, popularly known as “The Gabba”, a bastion that had stood unyielding for over three decades. The Australians, guardians of this impregnable citadel, could never have fathomed in their wildest dreams that they would be handed a humiliation so brutal, it birthed the iconic headline, “Toota Gabba ka ghamand” (‘The pride of Gabba is broken’).

As Rishabh Pant dispatched the winning runs off Josh Hazlewood, there was another warrior at the other end — Navdeep Saini. From what could only be described as the best seat in the house, he saw history being made and “ghamand” broken.

But this victory didn’t come without its price. Saini, already battling a groin injury, had been running on sheer willpower. While his sprint was rendered unnecessary as Pant’s shot kissed the boundary ropes, with players running in from the dugout to embrace in ecstasy, Saini, in an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.com, revealed that the Gabba win was like a magical cure after all, healing all his suffering from groin pain, tapes and painkillers.