Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted former Australian cricketer Steve Waugh a nearly 20-year-old photograph (IANS Photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the final day of his Australia trip, where he highlighted the strong sporting ties between the two countries.During the visit, Modi presented former Australian captain Steve Waugh with a framed photograph from nearly 20 years ago, taken when Modi was the Gujarat Chief Minister and had met the cricket legend.He also expressed happiness at seeing young talent in action at the stadium.Modi said India and Australia have a great opportunity to work together in sports as both countries prepare to host major international events.In a post on X, he said, “As both our nations prepare to host major global sporting events in the years ahead, there is immense potential to deepen cooperation in sports, youth engagement, infrastructure and talent development.”The two leaders also unveiled a Roadmap on Sport Cooperation, aimed at expanding collaboration in sports science, technology, talent development, infrastructure, trade and tourism. Modi reiterated India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympics after staging the 2030 Commonwealth Games.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the opening match of the 2026-27 Big Bash League season will be played at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, making it the first BBL game to be held outside Australia. Welcoming the move, Modi said, “For any sporting league, hosting an event in India guarantees extensive reach and viewership.”Albanese also praised the strong cricket rivalry between India and Australia, recalling the record attendance during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.He acknowledged cricket legends Steve Waugh and Lisa Sthalekar, saying, “It is a great honour to be joined here by two legends of Australian cricket who are both admired and revered in India too. Lisa Sthalekar and Steve Waugh.” The leaders also visited the Shane Warne Stand at the MCG.