IND vs AUS: Narendra Modi, Anthony Albanese present Test caps to Rohit Sharma and Steve Smith

The fourth Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia was graced by the honourable prime ministers of both countries. Ahead of the start of play at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart Anthony Albanese presented Test caps to Rohit Sharma and Steve Smith, respectively.

While the game in itself is of great significance for both countries, it also marks the occasion of ‘75 years of friendship’ between Australia and India. A special event was organised by The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which saw BCCI president Roger Binny felicitate Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese while BCCI secretary Jay Shah felicitated Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.

Following the felicitation events, former Indian cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri welcomed both dignitaries to the stage to present their respective team captains with their Test caps. While Narendra Modi handed Indian skipper Rohit Sharma his Test cap, the Australian prime minister handed Steven Smith the Test cap. Following handshakes between all four parties, Narendra Modi lifted the hands of his counterpart and the Indian skipper while posing for a picture.

BCCI@BCCI

The Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modiji presents the special cap to #TeamIndia captain @ImRo45 while The Honourable Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Anthony Albanese presents the cap to Australia captain Steve Smith. @narendramodi | @PMOIndia | #INDvAUS

09:27 AM · Mar 09, 2023

9.6K1K

Coming to the match, the tourists, who are still without Pat Cummins, opted to bat first after stand-in skipper Steve Smith won the toss in the series finale. The Australians made a solid start to the match after Travis Head and Usman Khawaja stitched together their highest opening stand of the series. 

Head, who was handed a reprieve after KS Bharat failed to cling onto a regulation chance, was eventually dismissed by Ravichandran Ashwin after the drinks break.

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS App Store and Google Play Store