AHMEDABAD: Two days out from the fourth-and-final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, it was hard to miss the excitement. Being inside the Narendra Modi Stadium, one of the world's largest sporting stadia was to be a first-hand witness to feverish action both inside and outside the depths of the complex. Outside, the glue was yet to dry on the posters that were being stuck. Inside the Stadium, a stage was being readied under the south stand directly behind the square. On the stage, a giant hoarding of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, with his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, went up. As soon as the hoarding went up, it invited a predictable gaggle from the journalists who had turned up to watch the Australian training session on Tuesday morning.
"Would be interesting to watch (Steve) Smith get the umpire to move Albanese a few inches to the right?" was one. "Wonder how Rohit (Sharma) would cope with Modi watching his every move on the field?" another. A few hours after the hoarding was erected, it was quietly down. These posters signalling the camaraderie between the two countries -- "75 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP THROUGH CRICKET" -- have been plastered all around the stadium.
And that really was the overriding theme on Tuesday. It may be getting ready to host a Test with a lot at stake but it's also getting set to welcome the man it's named after and Albanese, who will become the first Australian Prime Minister to travel to India since 2017. If Tuesday's dress rehearsals are anything to go by, there is also set to be a lap of honour of sorts. As the orange seats glistened in the background in the early but still punishing summer heat, two men were driven around the stadium in a golden chariot-like vehicle. On Sunday, the Sydney Morning Herald had reported that both Prime Ministers would take their seats before the national anthem and stay for the first hour's play before leaving the stadium. Albanese will proceed to Mumbai later on Thursday.
The Narendra Modi Stadium is of course no stranger to hosting political events. In 2020, it hosted the 'Namaste Trump' event with US President, Donald Trump. A year later, it was renamed the Narendra Modi Stadium ahead of a day-night Test against England.
So, do the players think about playing in front of Modi and Albanese? Do they think about the outside noise that's bound to be there on Thursday? Coach Rahul Dravid replied in the negative. "I don't think so," he said. "Overall, these guys are professionals, they are used to playing in front of big crowds, they are used to a lot of noise that happens in and around these games. For them to just be able to switch on and play the Test, I don't think it should be particularly difficult. We understand it's a really exciting opportunity for us this week to play some really good cricket."The cricket will ultimately be played at the Stadium, but only after the two Prime Ministers occupy the centre stage.