Canberra, Australia

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma on Thursday (Nov. 28) addressed the Australian parliament as the side prepares for the two-day contest against the Prime Minister’s XI. Ahead of the traditional fixture in the Australian capital of Canberra, Rohit was a special guest in the house along with his side as they were greeted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Rohit shared his thoughts on the India-Australia relationship on and off the field as they prepare for the contest.

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Rohit addresses Australian parliament

"India and Australia. We go back a long way, whether it's sport, whether it is trade relations. Over the years, we have enjoyed coming to this part of the world, playing cricket, and enjoying a variety of cultures in the country. And obviously, Australia is one of the challenging, uh, players to come and play cricket because of the passion people have, the competitiveness that every player possesses. Which is why you know for us, it's always been a great challenge to come here and play cricket," Rohit Sharma said in his speech at the parliament.

The Indian team was also joined by the PM XI squad, as Rohit posed with his opposite numbers, Jack Edwards and Anthony Albanese.

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India is now set to play a two-day contest against the Prime Minister’s XI, which will start on Saturday (Nov. 30) as the visitors look to gear up for the second Test match in Adelaide. India will be boosted by the return of skipper Rohit, who missed the opening contest in Perth due to paternity leave. Despite his absence, India won the contest by a record 295 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

While Rohit’s return will be a boost, Shubman Gill is unlikely to return to the Playing XI as he faces a race against time to be fit for the pink-ball contest in Adelaide. He suffered a thumb fracture while playing in the warm-up match against the WACA Simulation side before the Perth Test.