While Team India is leaving no stone unturned to stay ahead of Bangladesh in the ongoing Chennai Test, verbal jabs between Ravi Shastri and Tamim Iqbal are keeping the commentary box lively. On Saturday morning when Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill were tearing apart the Bangladesh attack, the two commentators got into an argument over the six-hitting skills of batters in Test cricket.
The former Bangladesh opener highlighted the significance of power and muscle required to score maximums in Test match cricket, pointing out how Pant uses his bottom hand. But Shastri countered his colleague’s statement, stressing more on the technique, transfer of weight and head position.
India vs Bangladesh 1st Test Day 3 LIVE
After a healthy debate, Shastri had the last laugh as he pulled Tamim’s leg saying, “Why are you complaining? You’re not Arnold Schwarzenegger, and you hit the most sixes for Bangladesh! 41 sixes!”
Both Tamim and Shastri had been hard hitters during their playing days.
The former Bangladesh opener retired from all forms of international cricket in 2023, having finished his Test career with 5134 runs in 134 innings. As Shastri mentioned, Tamim is the highest six-hitter with 41 maximums.
On the other hand, Shastri smashed 22 maximums in 121 innings.
Gill, Pant Set Chepauk Ablaze
The duo of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant scored a century each before the hosts declared their second innings at 287/4, setting Bangladesh a mammoth target of 515 to win the Chennai Test.
Gill, after bagging a duck in the first innings, led India’s charge with a fine 119 not out, laced with ten fours and four sixes. Pant, playing in his comeback Test match, made a superb 109 – where he took his time before unleashing his attacking shots in his knock laced with 13 fours and four sixes.
The duo shared an enterprising 167-run stand for the fourth wicket to demoralise the Bangladeshi bowlers. The main interest in the second session was always going to be about when India would declare its innings.
With his sixth Test century, Pant now has equalled MS Dhoni for the joint-most centuries hit by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter in the longer format. After hitting two quick boundaries, Pant fell in a bid to attack more as he hit straight back to Mehidy in a caught and bowled dismissal.
Both Gill and Pant have looked untroubled, as they took their time and then unleashed their shots to pile more misery on Bangladesh – barring a dropped chance of the latter on 72 by Najmul Hossain Shanto off Shakib just before lunch.
(With Agency Inputs)
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