Canberra: Day 1 of India’s warm-up match against the Prime Minister’s XI was called off due to rain on Saturday at Manuka Oval, Canberra.
No play was possible on the first day as the persistent inclement weather left both teams disappointed. The warm-up game is India’s sole practice before the day/night Test against Australia starting December 6 in Adelaide.
The Rohit Sharma-led team has not played a pink ball Test since March 2022, so the players and coaches were keenly anticipating this match to get accustomed to the pink ball’s behaviour under the lights. ESPNCricinfo reports that Day 2 will feature a 50-over match per side, providing India with a balanced opportunity to prepare in batting and bowling.
Before the warm-up game, the Indian team and the PM’s XI had a traditional meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the parliament. PM Albanese lauded Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, humorously commenting on Kohli’s recent dominance over the Australian team.
As captain Rohit Sharma introduced the players to PM Albanese, the Australian leader praised Jasprit Bumrah’s unique bowling action and congratulated Virat Kohli on his century in the Perth Test.
The Australian Prime Minister shared photos with the teams on his social media handle, declaring Australia the favourite to win the series and tagging PM Modi in his post. Indian PM Narendra Modi quickly responded, expressing that India has had a strong start in the series and has the full support of the nation.
In preparation for the second Test, Australia received a setback as Josh Hazlewood was sidelined with a low-grade left-side injury. Uncapped pacers Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett have been added to the squad.
