Former India head coach Ravi Shastri recently revisited a fiery moment from the early 90s—an era when Australian sledging was at its loudest and Indian cricketers were still learning to push back. The incident involved a teenage Sachin Tendulkar on his maiden tour of Australia in 1991–92, a tour that would ultimately announce the arrival of a prodigy who would dominate world cricket for decades.

Shastri recalled that unforgettable day at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He had just brought up his century, a part of the iconic 206-run knock that remains one of his finest overseas innings. Sachin, barely 18 at the time, had just walked in when the Waugh brothers—Steve and Mark—started unleashing their trademark verbal volleys. “You little this, you little that,” they barked at the young Mumbai boy, trying to rattle him before he could settle.

Adding fuel to the fire, Australia’s 12th man, Mike Whitney, stepped onto the field and decided to get involved. Ravi Shastri narrated how Whitney grabbed the ball and snarled, “Get back into your crease; I’ll break your head.” For most players, that was enough to lose composure. But not Shastri. Even with stump mics around and the threat of fines, he chose to take the Aussies head-on in classic Shastri style.

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“I turned around and yelled across the SCG, ‘Hey Mike! If you could throw as well as you bowl, you wouldn’t be the 12th man of Australia,’” Shastri laughed while recounting the event during the Summer of Cricket Lunch hosted by Cricket ACT. The reply stunned Whitney and left even the Australians momentarily silent.

The confrontation fired up young Sachin, who told Shastri he wanted to give it back once he reached his hundred. But Shastri, understanding both the temperament and immense talent of the teenager, shut that idea down instantly.

“I told him, ‘Shut up. You’ve got enough class. Your bat will do the talking. Let me do the talking,’” Ravi Shastri said.

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In a world where Australian sledging was relentless, this moment captured the contrasting personalities of Shastri and Tendulkar—and how the perfect blend of fire and calm helped shape one of the greatest careers in cricket history.