![]() It’s natural to draw parallels with Donald Trump, who received Modi’s open admiration as US president, and who attended a rally at the same stadium in 2020 where he famously mangled pronouncing the names of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. This is Modi country, the base of support for a leader who is approaching a decade in the job on a swell of Hindu populism that shows little sign of easing. Stadium pillars and concourses were also plastered with pictures of the leaders, as had been roadsides all through the Gujarat capital in the days leading up. Adorned at its back with a splayed cardboard fan of oversized cricket bats and stumps, it was like Angry Anderson had swapped engineering tips with Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones. ![]() While the boisterous commentator, Ravi Shastri, provided a voiceover extolling 75 years of Indo-Australian friendship, the leaders embarked on a slow lap of honour from a specially crafted open vehicle. Ushered on to a podium on the field of play along with officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, they watched a dance performance while competing to see who could remain the most impassive, sitting with hands folded in laps and stern expressions.
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