Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Co-operation, camaraderie put on strong wicket

— PHOTO: M. VEDHAN

FOR A CAUSE: Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin prepares to play a shot during a friendly cricket match between Chief Minister’s XI and a touring delegation from the South Australian government in Chennai on Sunday.

CHENNAI: A hot, blazing afternoon at the Pachaiyappa’s college ground. The quiet stillness is interrupted by the regular thwacks of leather on willow. At first glance, you’d think a typical Sunday college cricket match. You couldn’t be more wrong.

Standing at first slip is Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin, sauntering up to the wicket is the Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann, and scattered through the off-side is a who’s who of the Tamil Nadu State government. Some line-up, this.

It has become something of an annual tradition for the Government of South Australia to take on its peers in the Tamil Nadu government in a game of cricket since a delegation from the State first visited Tamil Nadu in 2004. The tradition was continued this Sunday, as a Chief Minister’s XI led by Mr. Stalin took on a South Australian team.

The afternoon was all about friendship and camaraderie, but there was some intense cricket too. The game began on a not-so-promising note, with the South Australian opening bowler falling over flat on his face as he bowled the first ball.

The presence of India international Dinesh Karthik lent a much-needed air of professionalism to the proceedings. Mr. Karthik went about despatching the Australians to the far corners of the ground, hitting a quick-fire 73 to help the CM’s XI muster a strong total of 191 in their 20 overs.

The Australians fell short by 68 runs, but Sunday was not just about the cricket. “Today was more than a competition,” Mr. Stalin said. “It is about improving cooperation and friendship, and furthering ties between the two states. It is about creating a conducive environment to develop friendship.”

So no sledging then? “Definitely no sledging,” he confirmed.

Mike Rann, the South Australian Premier, shared his sentiment. “We’re having a great mining boom and economic growth in South Australia, but we are short of people,” Mr. Rann said. “We are here to recruit migrants and students to come from our sister-state Tamil Nadu and share in this growth.”

Last week, the University of South Australia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI) in Hyderabad, and it will also sign an MoU with PSG College, Coimbatore, on Monday.

“Education is a big focus area of relations between the two countries, and the percentage of Indian students in Australia is higher than any other,” said A.K. Tareen, Director of Trade and Investment (India and South Asia), Government of South Australia. Mr. Tareen had a memorable afternoon: he picked up the wicket of Krishnamachari Srikkanth. “The Premier has said that I’m going to get promoted for that,” he said. “And he was being serious.”

Judging by India’s recent cricket history, you might not think that staging a cricket match between Indians and Australians is the best way to foster friendship. But believe it or not, it worked this Sunday afternoon.

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