India’s Modi hosts Australia PM at stadium named after him

Anthony Albanese and Narendra Modi open cricket match between their two teams at Ahmedabad Stadium named after Indian Prime Minister.

The prime ministers of India and Australia added a touch of cricket diplomacy to their ties as they inaugurated a test match between their two teams at a stadium named after Narendra Modi in the western city of Ahmedabad.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Indian host Modi handed caps emblazoned with national emblems to rival captains Steve Smith and Rohit Sharma on Thursday.

The two Prime Ministers clasped their hands together and held them up as thousands of cricket fans cheered the two leaders who went around the stadium and later sat down to watch the start of the game.

Cricket, a common passion in India and Australia! Happy to be in Ahmedabad with my good friend PM @AlboMP to witness parts of the India-Australia Test Match. I’m sure it will be an exciting match! 🇮🇳 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/JwJecwUkHi

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 9, 2023

Modi and Albanese also saw a photo exhibition highlighting their country’s cricket ties.

The cricket rivalry between India and Australia is regarded as one of the most intense in the world, comparable to the Ashes test series played between England and Australia.

The opposition Congress party denounced Modi for attending the event at a stadium named after him.

“Walking a lap of honor in a stadium you named after yourself in your lifetime – the epitome of self-obsession,” party leader Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet.

The Albanians arrived in Ahmedabad, a key city in Modi’s home state of Gujarat, on Wednesday at the start of his four-day visit to India.

He paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, India’s independence leader, while visiting the Sabarmati Ashram, one of Gandhi’s abodes in India. Albanians later attended a cultural event related to the Holi festival at the governor’s residence.

Albanian will depart for Mumbai later on Thursday, where he will visit India’s home-made aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, which was commissioned into the Indian Navy in September.

The two leaders will hold official talks in New Delhi on Friday.

“Australia and India are important partners,” Albanese said in Perth before leaving for India. “We share common values. We are both vibrant democracies. We have an interest in improving our economic relations.”

He said India, along with Indonesia, would become the world’s third and fourth largest economies, presenting “an incredible opportunity” for Australia.

According to the economic think tank Global Trade Research Initiative, goods exports from India to Australia amounted to $8.3 billion and imports from the country amounted to $16.75 billion in 2021-2022.

While Indian exports range from agriculture, clothing and railway engines to telecoms, 95 percent of India’s imports from Australia are raw materials and mining products required by Indian industry.

Both leaders have declared their commitments to a “free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific”. They highlight the progress of the Quad, an alliance of Australia, India, Japan and the United States that aims to counter China’s growing influence in Asia.