‘Why are you complaining? You’re not Arnold Schwarzenegger’: Ravi Shastri teases Tamim Iqbal seconds after serious chat

With India running away with the match in the morning session of the third day, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill were taking the attack to Bangladesh’s spinners, with both looking to step out and hit big sixes.

The power-packed batting on show prompted a discussion on six-hitting technique between Shastri and Iqbal, with the Bangladesh opener arguing for the significance of power and muscle required to score maximums in Test match cricket, pointing out Pant’s use of the bottom hand.

In the same vein, Shastri debated Tamim’s point of view by claiming that it was more a matter of technique, pointing out how significant the transfer of weight and head position was in each of Pant and Gill’s sixes.

‘You hit the most sixes for Bangladesh!’

After going back and forth over this debate, Ravi Shastri had the last laugh on air as he brought up his trump card: “Why are you complaining? You’re not Arnold Schwarzenegger, and you hit the most sixes for Bangladesh! 41 sixes!”

Tamim Iqbal retired from all forms of international cricket in 2023, having finished his Test career with 5134 runs in 134 innings, and does indeed stand as Bangladesh’s highest six-hitter with 41 maximums. He is six clear of Mushfiqur Rahim in second place.

Shastri himself was no slouch in the six-hitting department either, with 22 in 121 innings.

Shubman Gill already sits on 27 Test sixes in 48 innings, while Rishabh Pant is quickly climbing up the ranks for India, with an impressive 59 sixes in just 58 innings, averaging over one maximum every innings. He is already seventh for India, with Virender Sehwag the leader with 90 sixes in Test cricket.