India (Commonwealth Union)_ Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on a four-day official visit to India from March 8 to March 11. It is the first visit by an Australian prime minister in six years and follows the December implementation of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported that the Australian prime minister will be accompanied by Senator Don Farell, Australia’s Minister for Trade and Tourism, and Madeleine King, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, as well as other senior officials and a high-level business delegation, during his India visit.
The atmosphere at Motera’s Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is vibrant with excitement as preparations are underway for the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on the opening day of the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Thursday. Despite the festive mood, security has been intensified to ensure the safety of the dignitaries. Although PM Modi had already visited the renovated stadium with a capacity of 1.10 lakh during the inauguration of the National Games last year, this is the first time he is attending a Test match since it was renamed. The visit of both Prime Ministers also marks the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Indo-Australian friendship.
During their visit, both leaders took a tour of the stadium in a gold-plated golf car, which was also used by PM Modi during the National Games held at the same venue. According to a local official, “It was the same golf car on which the honorable PM had also taken a lap of honor during the National Games at this very venue”. Further, the security measures have been intensified, with the Special Protection Group (SPG) in charge of the stadium. Additionally, it is expected that a record-breaking 100,000 people will attend the match on the first day, surpassing the maximum attendance at the Eden Gardens during Christmas Test matches. To celebrate the occasion, a temporary dais has been set up on one side in front of the sight screen for a brief ceremony, which will be dismantled when the event gets over.
On Wednesday, even attending the optional practice sessions of the two teams became a challenge due to the strict security protocols. However, when captain Rohit Sharma was asked to comment on the presence of the two leaders and the jam packed stadium, the Indian cricketer said that his team is focused on the job at hand. Rohit stated, “Yeah, the Prime Ministers of both countries are coming. Obviously, it’s an exciting time. For players, we’ve got a job at hand. So the talk is just around that… how we’re going to come on top of this Test match and try and do everything we can to win this Test”. Despite the presence of the heads of state and a near full stadium, coach Rahul Dravid expressed confidence that the Indian players will not succumb to pressure, as many of them are accustomed to playing in front of jam-packed crowds, and that the team is determined to perform well and win the final Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Prior to his trip, PM Anthony Albanese sent a series of tweets in which he stated, “Today I’m bringing a delegation of ministers and business leaders to India. At the kind invitation of PM Narendra Modi, we’ll be visiting Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.” He added, “We have an historic opportunity to strengthen our relationship with India, at a time of extraordinary growth and dynamism in our region”. During his visit to India, the Australian prime minister is poised to announce substantial investments in Australia’s rare earths industry. India and Australia are eager to collaborate in the sphere of sustainable energy and have made significant progress in that direction.
