Team India visits Australian Parliament ahead of warm-up tie in Canberra

India players with Australian PM Anthony Albanese at Parliament House in Canberra yesterday. PIC/BCCI

After an hour-and-a-half flight delay, the Indian cricket team touched down in Canberra on Wednesday evening from Perth, preparing to face the Australia PM XI in a two-day pink-ball warm-up fixture starting Saturday. The time difference between Perth and Canberra necessitated a rest day on Thursday, allowing the team to recover and acclimatise to the local conditions.

The downtime wasn't all about relaxation, though. In the evening, the Indian contingent, led by captain Rohit Sharma, made a significant visit to the iconic Parliament House, courtesy of an invitation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The team spent an hour at the historic venue, where the PM personally met and interacted with every player and member of the support staff. Rohit introduced each individual, highlighting the camaraderie between the two nations.

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Australia's assistant minister for foreign affairs, Tim Watts, later took to social media, praising Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli. Back on the cricketing front, India are set to resume their preparations on Friday with a practice session at Manuka Oval. However, looming rain in Canberra threatens to disrupt their plans. The warm-up game itself, a day-night pink-ball affair, will provide the team with a crucial opportunity to fine-tune their skills ahead of the highly anticipated Adelaide Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, in which the visitors currently hold a 1-0 lead.

The visit to the Parliament House and the warm reception from the Australian government underline the significance of this bilateral cricketing rivalry, not just on the field but also as a cultural exchange. With two intense days of cricket around the corner, all eyes now turn to Canberra's skies, hoping for clear weather.