During my time in Delhi, a number of Ambassadors have wistfully told me that they wished they had something as binding as cricket in their relations with India.
By relations they mean between our peoples; something that, at almost every level, sparks a connection which brings a smile of understanding and easier friendship.
Cricket gives Australia and India this bond. It is deep in both our DNA — so much so that on occasion you get someone carping about Australia and India needing to move beyond cricket in our relations.
Well, we have long gone past just cricket, if this ever were the case. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s visit to India in September and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia in November last year showed that in spades — or should I say put runs on the board — with significant developments for our relationship in trade and investment, resources and energy, education and skills, security and defence, science and technology, culture and so on.
But at the same time you don’t discard something that is fundamental, enduring and valuable in a relationship. No. You celebrate and build on what you have in common.
Actually, “in common” is putting it mildly. Cricket is a national obsession in both Australia and in India.
That is why Australia is so delighted, excited, proud and hopeful to be co-hosting with New Zealand the Cricket World Cup this year.
Secretly, I am sure, most Australians are dreaming we can achieve the sort of famous victory India wrote into the history books at home in 2011 with a winning six and Sachin Tendulkar riding high on the shoulders of giants around Wankhede Stadium.
Developing of symmetry
As with such great festive events, already there is a pleasing symmetry developing — the India-Pakistan game on Sunday at the beautiful Adelaide Oval has been sold out in 12 minutes, we’ve had 12,000 applications in January alone for Indian tourists to visit Australia for the World Cup, and 12 separate channels will be broadcasting the World Cup in India in six different languages.
As one of our more famous cricketing commentators would say, it’s six to half a dozen of the other at this stage as to which team will win.
What we do know is that it is going to be an enthralling competition with all sorts of twists and turns, highs and lows, and things to talk about for years to come for Australians and Indians, just as we will all hear from combinations of commentators from both our countries which the formidable Indian media has brought together from our galaxy of living legends.
My eyes, like millions of others in India, will be on Virat Kohli. No explanation required: one of the nice things about a shared understanding. So much seems to be measured by him now. For instance, the other day, I met a 14-year-old boy from Delhi who is going down to Australia to play. He — it was whispered in my ear — had just scored a higher innings than Kohli had done at his age. I snuck inside to write down his name.
Beyond individual brilliance and feats long remembered, however, will be yet another celebration through the World Cup — the power of sport to bring people together and bring the best out of each other, whether it is graciousness in victory, consolation in loss, or the sheer joy of a game well played.
Sports for development This is why Australia does so much in India and elsewhere on sports for development. We believe it brings out essential life skills, just as it does the lifeblood within and between nations.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the contributions of Australians of Indian origin to our great game. Look at young fast bowler Gurinder Sandhu, born and raised in Sydney’s West, who recently made his debut for Australia against India at the MCG.
His parents came to Australia from Punjab in the 1980s. I expect he’ll be followed by many more Australian cricketers of Indian heritage.
This is because there are more than half a million people of Indian origin now living in Australia. If you attend a weekend cricket match in any of our larger cities, you’ll find the scoreboard is just as likely to feature the surname Singh as it is a Smith.
Just as you turn on the television at home in India to watch a World Cup match, you will see a vast swathe of Indian Australians breathing life and spirit into the wonderful spectacle over the coming weeks, whether wearing yellow and green or blue shirts or some ombination of both. These things are complex but nonetheless thread us together as two peoples better united by a shared love.
Let me finish with a personal experience. When we first came here, my young son was a little overwhelmed by India in all its wondrous variety and numbers. I looked for things he could connect with. We went to the Indian Premier League final in Kolkata and in the tumult and noise and familiarity of all that he saw, he left all smiles and happy, hugging some co-supporters on the way out. Indian boys. Like him.
May the best team win.
(Patrick Suckling is Australian High Commissioner to India.)
