Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his delight over Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s meeting with the Indian cricket team on Thursday, extending his support to the Men in Blue for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. PM Modi commended the team’s commanding performance in the series opener in Perth and shared his excitement for the matches ahead.
The Indian cricket team received a warm welcome from PM Albanese ahead of their two-day practice match against the Prime Minister’s XI. The Australian leader shared pictures on Instagram of his interaction with Indian cricket stars, including captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, along with a group selfie featuring players such as Mohammed Siraj, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and others.
“Glad to see my good friend Prime Minister @AlboMP with the Indian and PM’s XI teams. Team India is off to a great start in the series, and 1.4 billion Indians are strongly rooting for the Men in Blue. I look forward to exciting games ahead,” PM Modi said on X.
Meanwhile, PM Albanese acknowledged the challenge facing the Prime Minister’s XI as they gear up to face a strong Indian 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,” he said.
India’s emphatic victory in the Perth Test, defeating Australia by a massive 295 runs despite a dismal first-innings total of 150, has set the tone for the series. Standout performances from Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, debutant Nitish Reddy, and stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah played a pivotal role in the win, marking a stunning comeback following a series whitewash against New Zealand at home.
Rohit Sharma, who missed the series opener due to personal reasons, has rejoined the team in Australia and resumed training ahead of the upcoming matches. The second Test, a pink-ball day-night game, is set to take place at Adelaide Oval from December 6-10.
Before that, the Indian team will face the PM’s XI in a two-day warm-up match on November 30 and December 1 at Manuka Oval, offering further preparation for the prestigious series.
(Inputs from ANI)