Former India coach Ravi Shastri set social media alight on Thursday morning with a rib-tickling revelation from Sachin Tendulkar’s maiden tour of Australia in 1991-92, recounting the exact moment he told the teenage prodigy to “shut up” and let his bat answer Australian sledging at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Speaking at the Summer of Cricket Lunch organised by Cricket ACT in Canberra, the 63-year-old relived the fiery exchange that has since become one of Indian cricket’s most cherished dressing-room tales.

Shastri had just raised his century when 12th man Mike Whitney and the Waugh brothers turned their attention to 18-year-old Tendulkar, hurling barbs like “you little this, you little that.” Whitney went further, bouncing the ball menacingly and threatening to “break Shastri’s head”. The Mumbai all-rounder responded with a roar that echoed across the SCG: “If you could throw as well as you bowl, you wouldn’t be the 12th man of Australia!” The retort left the crowd roaring and the Australians momentarily stunned.

A fired-up Tendulkar later ran down the pitch to Shastri during a drinks break and declared, “Wait till I get my hundred—I’ll give them some of this!” Shastri immediately shut him down: “You shut up. You’ve got enough class; your bat will do the talking. Let me do the talking.” From 100 to his eventual 206, Shastri didn’t utter another word, but the message was clear—respond with runs, not retorts.

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At stumps, Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh were the first Australians in India’s dressing room, cold beers in hand, laughing about the day’s battle. Shastri told the Canberra audience, “That’s what the crowd respects, that’s what the opposition respects—play hard, compete hard, and share a drink after.” The anecdote perfectly captured the essence of 1990s Indo-Aus cricket: ferocious on-field rivalry followed by genuine mutual admiration off it.

The clip, shared widely by Star Sports and fan pages, has already crossed 2 million views within hours of going live. Fans flooded timelines with laughing emojis and comments like “Shastri protecting baby Sachin is peak big-bro energy” and “This is why we call him the OG tracer bullet.” Three decades on, the story continues to remind a new generation why the Australia-India rivalry remains the fiercest—and most respected—contest in world cricket.

As India prepares to host Australia for a five-Test series starting later this month, Shastri’s throwback has added extra spice to an already mouthwatering summer. If Thursday’s reactions are any indication, millions will be hoping for more such on-field theatre—and maybe a few more post-play beers—when the two teams lock horns again.

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