Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has raised eyebrows after he took his place alongside Test captain Steve Smith for the Australian nationwide anthem on Thursday.
The 60-year-old acquired a rock star welcome as he was paraded across the colossal Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad earlier than the beginning of play within the Fourth Test between Australia and India.
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Albanese and counterpart Modi, who the stadium is known as after, brought on anarchy earlier than the beginning of play as they had been launched to the gang of round 100,000 spectators and got a heroes reception as they had been pushed across the discipline on a open-roof chariot that intently resembled a “Pope-mobile”.
After the pomp and ceremony, Albanese spoke with Smith and Indian captain Rohit Sharma earlier than all of them walked out onto the sphere for the nationwide anthems.
Cricket commentators have been left stunned Albanese stayed on the sphere and linked arms with Smith earlier than Advance Australia Fair was performed across the stadium.
Modi additionally stood by the Indian gamers because the Indian nationwide anthem was performed.
The sight of Albo belting out the anthem was Smith was described as “weird”.
Albanese this summer time additionally made an look within the Fox Cricket commentary field throughout the Sydney Test towards South Africa in January.
Albanese has been in India whereas conducting formal commerce talks with the biggest democracy on the planet.
The Narendra Modi Stadium has a capability of 132,000, and the marvel of sporting structure has been used for giant political occasions, together with when Modi welcomed then US President Donald Trump in 2020.
The official assembly between Modi and Albanese meant the 2 groups had been barred from warming up on the sphere and have been relegated to the skin nets.
Aussie Test nice Brad Haddin described the scenario as “carnage”.
“That’s all part of the theatre of touring India,” he mentioned on Fox Cricket.
“We haven’t known what the wicket is and now you can’t even get on the ground. That’s all part of the theatre. You just have to embrace the carnage and that’s what Steve Smith has done with this Australian team.”
Images of the 2 Prime Ministers, accompanied with the message “Friendship Through Cricket”, are emblazoned on the stadium’s exterior and on giant panels inside the world.
The official report crowd for a day of Test cricket was set in 2013 when 91,112 folks attended Day 1 of the Boxing Day Ashes Test.
A brand new report might effectively be set in Ahmedabad.
Originally printed as Unprecedented Albanese transfer could have gone too far
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
