India’s Modi hosts Australia’s prime minister at a stadium named after him | Narendra Modi News

Anthony Albanese and Narendra Modi will open the cricket match between their teams at the Ahmedabad Stadium named after the Prime Minister of India.

The Prime Ministers of India and Australia have injected a touch of cricket diplomacy into their relationship by inaugurating 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 on Thursday presented caps emblazoned with national emblems to rival captains Steve Smith and Rohit Sharma.

The two prime ministers clasped hands and raised them as thousands of cricket fans cheered the two leaders who toured the stadium and later sat down to watch the start of the game.

Cricket, a common passion in India and Australia! I am happy to be in Ahmedabad with my good friend PM @AlboMP witnessing parts of the Test match between India and Australia. I’m sure it will be an exciting game! 🇮🇳 🇦🇺 https://t.co/XvwU0XCbJf pic.twitter.com/JwJecwUkHi

Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 9, 2023

Modi and Albanese also saw a photo exhibition highlighting their countries’ cricketing ties.

The India-Australia cricket rivalry is considered one of the most intense in the world and can be compared to the Ashes Test series between England and Australia.

Modi was criticized by the opposition Congress party for his participation in the event at the stadium named after him.

“By doing a lap of honor in the stadium you named yourself after in your own life – self-obsession,” party leader Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet.

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

He paid his respects to Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian independence leader, when he visited the Sabarmati Ashram, one of Gandhi’s residences in India. Albanians later participated in a cultural event related to the Holi festival at the state governor’s residence.

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

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

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

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

India’s merchandise exports to Australia totaled $8.3 billion and imports from the country totaled $16.75 billion in 2021-2022, according to the Global Trade Research Initiative, an economic think tank.

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

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