Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday met the Indian cricket team ahead of their two-day warm-up match against the Prime Minister’s XI, scheduled to begin on November 30. The Australian PM shared pictures on Instagram of his interaction with the Men in Blue, including star players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He also clicked a selfie with Indian players such as Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and others.
Albanese also met with the Prime Minister’s XI, led by skipper Jack Edwards. In his Instagram post, he acknowledged the Indian team’s formidable strength while expressing confidence in the Australian side. “Big challenge ahead for the PM’s XI at Manuka Oval this week against an amazing Indian side. But as I said to PM @narendramodi, I’m backing the Aussies to get the job done,” Albanese said.
India’s Stunning Comeback in Perth Test
India recently staged a remarkable comeback in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener in Perth, defeating Australia by 295 runs. This came after being bowled out for a mere 150 runs in their first innings. The series now moves to Adelaide Oval for the second Test, a pink-ball day-night clash, starting December 6.
Updates on Indian Squad
Skipper Rohit Sharma, who recently joined the team in Australia following the birth of his second child, has begun practicing in the nets. He will be available for the warm-up match against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra.
Meanwhile, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has temporarily returned to India for personal reasons. According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Gambhir will rejoin the team before the Adelaide Test.