India v Australia fourth Test LIVE: PM pageantry pushes day one warmups outside
Key posts
- Poll: who comes out on top in this Test?
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Poll: who comes out on top in this Test?
Video: The crowd chaos of world’s biggest stadium
Team warmups pushed outside by politicians
News from the ground is that neither team is able to warm up on the actual Ahmedabad turf, they’ve been turfed to the outside nets to accommodate the first meeting of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
Players were able to get a look at the pitch earlier. And so was this fella, the real guest of honour as far as I’m concerned.
A stray dog crashes the pre-Test party at the Narendra Modi Stadium.Credit:Getty
To recap you on all the pageantry, here’s Dan Brettig’s guide to what’s going down today now the pollies have rolled into town.
Albanese and Test team in the shade of Modi’s day in the sun
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the national men’s cricket team will be part of the backdrop to a celebration of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the first day of the fourth Test on Thursday, at the gigantic Ahmedabad stadium that bears Modi’s name.
Albanese, who travels to India this week for the first time as prime minister, will be accompanied by Cricket Australia’s recently appointed chair, former New South Wales premier Mike Baird, Australian Cricketers Association chief executive Todd Greenberg and a cadre of business executives including Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn, Fortescue Metals boss Andrew Forrest and Rio Tinto Australia chief executive Kellie Parker.
Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird will be a guest with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the fourth Test between India and Australia in AhmedabadCredit:AP
There is ongoing debate about the size of Modi’s eponymous stadium, billed as the world’s largest. At one end of the stadium, a plaque by the local cricket association puts the capacity at 110,000 people. Another plaque at the other end lists the capacity at 130,000.
Either way, it is sporting architecture on a mighty scale and a place Modi has already used to project his idea of India to the world. In early 2020, shortly before the global outbreak of COVID-19, Modi hosted United States then-president Donald Trump for a rally at the stadium.
“You have done a great honour to our country. We will remember you forever, from this day onwards India will always hold a special place in our hearts,” Trump said to the crowd.
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Welcome one, welcome all
Afternoon friends,
Welcome to our coverage of the fourth and final Test of Australia’s tour of India, where the hosts hold an unassailable 2-1 lead.
We’re in Ahmedabad today, well, man on the ground Daniel Brettig is at least, luxuriating in all the pomp, politicians and a few other p-words that accompany today’s play.
More on that in a moment, because the cricket itself is the real attraction after Australia’s stunning nine-wicket win in Indore.
We’ve got the pitch confirmed, teams and the toss to come before the first ball being bowled at 3pm AEDT.
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