The Gabba stadium: pitch report, Test records and the end of a fortress
Australia went 31 Tests unbeaten at the Gabba, then lost two of their next six. The Brisbane pitch report, the Test records and why there is no Gabba Test this summer.
Dec 8, 2024 · Updated Sep 29, 2026
The Gabba was Australia’s fortress for three decades: 31 Tests without defeat between December 1989 and November 2019. Since India won there in January 2021, Australia have lost 2 of their 6 Tests at the ground. And the 2026-27 home summer has no Test in Brisbane at all, with the Queensland government’s plan to demolish the stadium after the 2032 Olympics and move cricket to a new ground at Victoria Park.
The pitch has changed character too, and the numbers below, taken from the full ESPNcricinfo match list, show how.
Gabba stadium at a glance
| Detail | The Gabba |
|---|---|
| Official name | Brisbane Cricket Ground |
| Location | Woolloongabba, Brisbane |
| Capacity | About 37,000 |
| Ends | Vulture Street End, Stanley Street End |
| Home teams | Queensland Bulls, Brisbane Heat |
| First Test | 27 November 1931, v South Africa |
| Men’s Tests | 68 |
| First T20I | 9 January 2006, v South Africa |
The Gabba is not Brisbane’s first Test ground. The Exhibition Ground hosted two Tests, in 1928 and 1931, before cricket moved to Woolloongabba, so records for “Brisbane” sometimes mix the two. Everything on this page is the Gabba alone.
Gabba pitch report: fast, bouncy and kinder to the chase
The Gabba has the reputation as the quickest, bounciest Test pitch in Australia, and the bowling list backs it: three of the top five wicket-takers here are fast bowlers.
What has changed is who wins. Since 2015 the side batting first has won 3, lost 7 and drawn 1 of 11 Gabba Tests, so the chasing side has won 7 of 11. The captain who wins the toss and bowls on a green Brisbane first morning is making the percentage call. Nathan Lyon’s 52 Gabba wickets have come at 28.82, a better average than he has at the SCG, the ground with the spinning reputation.
How has the Gabba pitch changed across eras?
| Era | Tests | 1st-inns avg | Bat first W-L-D |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931-1988 | 31 | 309.8 | 12-12-7 |
| 1989-2020 | 31 | 365.0 | 13-11-7 |
| 2021-2026 | 6 | 293.0 | 1-4-1 |
Across all 68 Tests the side batting first has won 26, lost 27 and drawn 14, with one tie (counted with the draws in the table). The ground staged the first tied Test in December 1960, when Richie Benaud’s Australia and Frank Worrell’s West Indies finished level.
The end of Australia’s Gabba fortress
Australia’s overall Test record at the Gabba is 43 wins, 10 defeats, 14 draws and the tie. The unbeaten run began after West Indies beat them in November 1988 and ran for 31 Tests: 24 wins and 7 draws. Its six Tests since India ended it are below.
| Season | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | India | Lost |
| 2021-22 | England | Won |
| 2022-23 | South Africa | Won |
| 2023-24 | West Indies | Lost |
| 2024-25 | India | Draw |
| 2025-26 | England | Won |
India’s win in January 2021 was the chase of the ground’s history. Needing 328, they made 329/7 on the fifth day, with Shubman Gill’s 91 and Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 89. The next-highest winning chase at the Gabba is Australia’s 236/7 in 1951, 93 runs smaller. Three years later West Indies won by eight runs, with Shamar Joseph taking 7/68 on his second Test appearance.
The 400 line works here too. Since 2000 a side batting first that reached 400 at the Gabba has won 7, drawn 3 and lost 1 of 11; below 400 it has lost 10 of 15. The exception was India, who made 408 in December 2014 and still lost by four wickets, in Steve Smith’s first Test as Australia captain. He made 133.
Gabba Test records
| Record | Figure | By | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest total | 645 | Australia | v England, 1946 |
| Lowest total | 58 | Australia | v England, 1936 |
| Highest chase | 329/7 | India | v Australia, 2021 |
| Highest score | 259* | Michael Clarke | v South Africa, 2012 |
| Best bowling | 9/52 | Richard Hadlee | v Australia, 1985 |
Australia’s 645 against England in 1946 is still the highest Test total here, and Michael Clarke’s 259 not out against South Africa in 2012 is the highest score. The best bowling is a visitor’s: Richard Hadlee’s 9/52 for New Zealand in 1985, in a match New Zealand won by an innings. Alastair Cook’s 235 not out in 2010 is the highest by a visiting batter.
Most Test runs and wickets at the Gabba
| Batter | Tests | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ricky Ponting | 17 | 1335 | 63.57 |
| Michael Clarke | 10 | 1030 | 103.00 |
| Steve Smith | 12 | 1010 | 56.11 |
| Greg Chappell | 7 | 1006 | 111.77 |
| David Warner | 11 | 963 | 56.64 |
| Bowler | Tests | Wickets | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Warne | 11 | 68 | 20.30 |
| Glenn McGrath | 13 | 65 | 21.75 |
| Mitchell Starc | 13 | 58 | 27.34 |
| Nathan Lyon | 14 | 52 | 28.82 |
| Pat Cummins | 8 | 44 | 18.50 |
Clarke averages 103.00 at the Gabba and Greg Chappell 111.77. Shane Warne’s 68 wickets top the bowling list, with Glenn McGrath 3 behind. For the all-time career lists see the most wickets in international cricket.
India’s record at the Gabba
India have played 8 Tests at the Gabba: 1 win, 2 draws and 5 defeats. The first, in 1947, included India’s lowest total at the ground, 58 all out. The 2021 win is the only one, and the most recent visit, in December 2024, was a rain-affected draw.
Gabba ODI and T20I records
| Record | Figure | By | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest ODI total | 324/7 | Australia | 2010 |
| Highest ODI score | 163 | David Warner | 2012 |
| Best ODI bowling | 6/45 | Chris Woakes | 2011 |
| Highest T20I total | 209/3 | Australia | 2006 |
| Best T20I bowling | 4/20 | Mitchell Starc | 2022 |
The Gabba has not staged a men’s ODI since January 2018. In the 78 it has hosted with a ball bowled, the side batting first won 34 and the chaser 39, with 5 no-results. In 12 T20Is the side batting first has won 8 and lost 3. The next international at the ground is a T20I against England on 27 November 2026.
The Gabba in the Big Bash League
The Brisbane Heat play at the Gabba, and it scores more heavily than Sydney. Across the 67 BBL games Cricsheet records here, the first-innings average is 170.2 (results without a rain rule), against 159.2 at the SCG, and the chasing side has won 34 to 28.
Gabba FAQs
Why is the Gabba being demolished?
The Queensland government’s plan for the 2032 Olympics builds a new main stadium at Victoria Park. Once the Games are over, cricket moves there and the Gabba is knocked down, with the site set for housing. The 2026-27 schedule already has no Test in Brisbane.
Has India ever won a Test at the Gabba?
Once, in January 2021, when they reached 329/7 chasing 328 and won by three wickets. India’s full record there is 1 win, 2 draws and 5 defeats in 8 Tests.
Is the Gabba pitch good for batting or bowling?
It has the reputation as Australia’s best pace-bowling pitch, but recent Tests have gone to the side batting second: 7 of 11 since 2015. A first innings of 400 has been close to a guarantee against defeat.
For the other big Australian Test grounds, read our pages on the SCG, the MCG and Adelaide Oval.