WATCH: PM Modi and PM Albanese hand caps to Rohit Sharma and Steve Smith ahead of 4th BGT Test

After giving the caps to the respective captains, all four of them shook hands and greeted each other, then posed for the cameras.


WATCH: PM Modi and PM Albanese hand caps to Rohit Sharma and Steve Smith ahead of 4th BGT Test

PM Modi and PM Albanese hand caps to Rohit Sharma and Steve Smith ahead of 4th BGT Test

The final Test between India and Australia have started on Thursday (March 9). But ahead of the start of the match, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Prime Minister Anthony Albanese presented the captains of both teams, Rohit Sharma and Steve Smith, with Test caps. The two PMs graced the occasion to celebrate 75 years of friendship at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. They also watched a traditional dance at the stadium.

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Roger Binny and BCCI secretary Jay Shah also felicitated the two PMs. After giving the caps to the respective captains, all four of them shook hands and greeted each other, then posed for the cameras.

Watch the video below:

Yesterday, reports claimed that PM Modi will flip the coin at the toss and will also be joining the commentary panel but when the toss was happening, the two PMs were doing the lap of honor around the stadium.

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Related: “Lot of talk around pitches,” Rahul Dravid speaks about Ahmedabad pitch and ICC’s ‘poor’ rating for Indore pitch

Steve Smith won the toss and opted to bat first

 Rohit Sharma and Steve Smith
Rohit Sharma and Steve Smith

At the toss, Steve Smith chose to bat first and said Australia are playing with the same team. However, India made one change. Mohammed Siraj has been rested and Mohammed Shami, who was rested in the Indore Test, is included in this match. He and Umesh Yadav are the two pacers for India.

We would have batted first also. Siraj is rested and Shami is back. It’s always nice to have some time off. We need to regroup as a team, you can reflect on so many things. Not the surface what we saw in the first three Tests, looks a good pitch, I hope it says the same for all five days,” Rohit said at the toss.

Both Rohit and Smith said the pitch looked different from those they saw in the last three Tests. India have won both the Tests played at the venue in 2021 when they faced England. Spinners scalped 48 wickets. But when Matthew Hayden did the pitch report, he said the pitch looked different from the one used against England.

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Rohit Sharma and co. have already retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1 and will be hoping to win this one to become the second finalist of the ICC World Test Championship. Australia have already qualified for the same after their victory at the Indore Test by nine wickets.

In case you missed:

Nathan Lyon expects a “bloody loud” fourth Test in Ahmedabad

BCCI may challenge ICC’s “poor” rating for the Indore pitch

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