AHMEDABAD: Diplomacy took first strike on the cricket pitch in Ahmedabad Thursday as PM Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese padded up for a joint lap of honour around the stadium before the start of the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, coinciding with the completion of 75 years of cricketing ties between the two nations.
The sprawling Narendra Modi Stadium reverberated with rapturous applause at the sight of the two PMs waving from a golf cart modified to look like a chariot, shook hands with players and stood alongside their respective teams when the national anthems were played. A specially minted coin to mark 75 years of cricket were used at the toss.
While no quarter was given on the field once the cricket began, the camaraderie between the PMs set the tone for the remainder of Albanese's four-day India tour. After visiting Mumbai next, he is scheduled to travel to Delhi and meet Modi again, President Droupadi Murmu and external affairs minister S Jaishankar.
Posting a picture of himself with Modi, the Australian PM tweeted, "Celebrating 75 years of friendship through cricket with Prime Minister @narendramodi." PM Modi responded to his tweet with, "Cricket, a common passion in India and Australia! Glad to be in Ahmedabad with my good friend, PM @AlboMP to witness parts of the India-Australia Test Match."
The two nations played each other for the first time when India toured Australia from October 1947 to February 1948. Australia won that five-match series 4-0. BCCI president Roger Binny felicitated the Australian PM, while BCCI secretary Jay Shah welcomed PM Modi. This was followed by a cultural programme where performers danced to a song by Grammy-winning singer Falguni Shah.
As the captains proceeded for the toss, the two PMs were escorted on a walk through the "Friendship Hall of Fame" - a pictorial compilation of the cricketing history between India and Australia.
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