Australia can be a hostile place for touring cricket teams. The Australians teams of the past rarely gave an inch to the opposition. Mighty West Indies sides had it tough. England's Ashes dreams had gone up in smokes, more often than not, Down Under. India had to wait 60 years since their first tour to Australia to win a series there.

The conditions in Australia are unique. Bouncy tracks, Kookaburra balls and great batsmen and bowlers to exploit them. When their backs were against the walls, they broke the goddamn thing down. Australian media can be daunting. Ask English and Indian teams of the past, they will tell you. The Melbourne crowd on a Boxing Day Test can prove to be their unofficial 12th man.

On the flipside, you will be loved and adored if you're brave enough to take the Aussies on. Take Virat Kohli's case for example. Ravi Shastri knew it. The head coach had told his young guns that they had an opportunity to be cherished by the Australians if they rose up to the occasion.

Under Ajinkya Rahane, Team India did exactly that. They fought fire with fire. Carrying the calm and composed aura of their stand-in captain, India refused to be beaten. Every time they were pushed on the backfoot, they found ways to spring back.

On a fine Saturday morning in Adelaide, India were handed a humiliating defeat. Humiliation is too strong a word in sport but getting bowled out for 36 was seen as one. The series opener was lost. Captain Virat Kohli and fast bowler Mohammed Shami were gone. India were staring at a tough month Down Under. They were written off. 4-0 score lines were predicted.

Cut to January 19, India did the unthinkable. They breached Australia's fortress -- the Gabba. They gunned down a record target of 328. They had completed a remarkable comeback that will resonate with the fans of the sport for years to come. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy was retained. Unlikely heroes, as Sachin Tendulkar pointed out, put their hands up and delivered in each and every session of the Test series.

Only 2 India players played all 4 Tests. Their playing XI for the first and last Test looked drastically different. They didn't have their best batsman. For the series decider, they didn't even have one member of their first-choice bowling attack. They were battered, bruised but not beaten.

It was not a surprise that the Australians loved the fight that was on display. From the media to former cricketers, each and every Aussie doffed their hats to the unbreakable spirit and character that was on display from the Asian giants. The Gabba was conquered, so was the hearts of the Aussie supporters.

Here's how the Australian media and former cricketers reacted to the historic Indian win

"The Irrepressibles became the immortals," wrote Robert Craddock for the News Corp.

"The day when Fortress Gabba was stormed by a group of cavalier raiders who kicked down the draw bridge, stole the crown jewels and raced off into the late afternoon sunshine towards hysterical fans who will cherish the memory forever.

"Take it all India. You deserve it."

'Thank You, Good Night India'

In a piece titled, "Thank You and Good Night, India" for The Sydney Morning Herald, senior journalist Greg Baum paid a beautiful tribute to the visiting side.

"Thanks, India. Thanks a lot. What else can you say? Thanks for one of the classic series. Thank you for one of the more extraordinary days," Baum wrote.

"When an Indian team that was unceremoniously sat on its backside in Adelaide a month ago and gutted by injury since inflicts Australia's first defeat at the Gabba since 1988, what more can you say? Fortress Gabba fell to a Trojan horse. It had looked like such a gift."

Heaping praise on Pujara, Baul wrote: "Pujara set in, like winter. He was struck 11 times, in head, ribs and hands, and they all hurt, but he was also the fulcrum. At last he was lbw to the second delivery with the second new ball, Cummins' in-ducker. That would have hurt Pujara more than any number of hits in the head. But his legacy lingered at the crease: the Australian bowlers were nearly spent."

'When India hatched a cunning plan'

The Mercury described India's Gabba heroics with a near-perfect description: "When all the world thought India was terrified about visiting Fortress Gabba they hatched a cunning plan to storm it."

'Your boldness will inspire the entire cricket world'

The Western Australian had a beautiful tribute: "It's not simply what you did - but how did you do it, with a boldness that will inspire the entire cricket world, Australia included. Extraordinary. Amazing. Stunning. The Gabba could host another 90 years of Test cricket and see nothing like it."

'A fitting climax to the most extraordinary series'

"The outcome was a revelation: Australia pressed for victory because they had to, India because they wanted to, and the result was a fitting climax to one of the most extraordinary series of all time," wrote Gideon Haigh in The Australian newspaper.