Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese were present at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to watch the fourth and final Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia. Before the match began, both prime ministers joined the players in singing their respective national anthems.
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A special welcome & special handshakes!
Narendra Modi#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/4SqCfnyiGc
— satishsharmabjp (@satishsharmain2) March 9, 2023
What a special video this is!
PM Modi ji sings national anthem with Indian cricketers at Gujarat pic.twitter.com/S3Uw4AAWrJ
— Mitta Vamsi Krishna (@MittaVamsiBJP) March 9, 2023
Incredible moments __
The Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modiji and the Honourable Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Anthony Albanese take a lap of honour at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad@narendramodi | @PMOIndia | #TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @GCAMotera pic.twitter.com/OqvNFzG9MD
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 9, 2023
Two Kings walk-in together infront of 1 lakh crowd.
The most epic walk ever in the history of World cricket.
Narendra Modi _ Rohit Sharma __ pic.twitter.com/zGem67HNOB
— ________ (@Hydrogen_45) March 9, 2023
The moment PM Narendra Modi, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, players and whole stadium singing national anthem - Goosebumps moment. pic.twitter.com/3mq2gA7bRl
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) March 9, 2023
Who did it better? Prime minister Anthony Albanese and Indian PM Narendra Modi have taken a ride in a cricket-themed chariot - and it's drawn comparisons to Angry Anderson's Batmobile from the 1991 AFL grand final.
For more on Mr Albanese's trip abroad: https://t.co/5BoCelnj8E pic.twitter.com/UwaAUJENcD
— SBS News (@SBSNews) March 9, 2023
Earlier in the morning, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah presented PM Modi with a memento during a ceremony at the stadium in Gujarat, PM Modi's home state. In return, PM Modi presented a special cap to Team India captain Rohit Sharma while PM Albanese presented a cap to Australia's captain Steve Smith. The two prime ministers are attending the match to celebrate 75 years of friendship between India and Australia through cricket.
The match began with Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith winning the toss and opting to bat first. India made one change to its playing XI, with Mohammed Shami replacing Mohammad Siraj.
The presence of both prime ministers at the stadium demonstrates the significance of cricket as a bridge between nations. It is also an indication of the strong diplomatic relations between India and Australia. The fourth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is a crucial one as it will decide the winner of the series. The excitement around the match has been heightened by the presence of the two prime ministers, who are cricket enthusiasts themselves.
The fourth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia is not just a sporting event, but also a platform for diplomacy and friendship between the two countries. The singing of national anthems by both prime ministers and the exchange of caps between the two captains reflect the spirit of camaraderie and goodwill that cricket can foster.
India vs Australia: Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (wk), R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami.
Australia: Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (captain), Peter Handscomb, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Todd Murphy, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Kuhnemann.
