'Under captain Modi, practice starts at 6 am': Jaishankar dishes out foreign affairs though cricket at 8th Raisina Dialogue

As part of a panel at the 8th Raisina Dialogues in New Delhi on Friday, EAM Jaishankar had cricket analogies at the ready, dishing out likenesses between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the deft captain of a side preparing for match-ups, writes ETV Bharat's Chandrakala Choudhury.

New Delhi: An interesting cricket analogy was in store for the audience at the 8th Raisina Dialogue currently underway in the capital on Friday, as EAM Jaishankar, who took to the stage as one of the speakers on the topic Turbulence, Temperament, and Temerity: Leadership in the Age of Uncertainty, likened the administration under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a fairly long-stretched practice session.

"With Captain (PM) Modi the net practice starts at 6 in the morning and goes on till fairly late. He expects you to take that wicket if he gives you the chance to do it" Jaishankar said. On a related note, when questioned about his stance on India being a bigger economy than the UK and dominating cricket, the minister termed it as an act of 'rebalancing'.

"I would call it rebalancing. It's a history switch-hitting. India is very unusual position, once more decisively upwardly mobile which a lot of other civilizational states aren't in a position to do" he observed. The commentary came as Jaishankar shared the stage with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and ex-England cricketer Kevin Pietersen.

The EAM further noted that although 'captain Modi' gave his bowlers a certain level of leeway, there were always difficult decisions to be taken. "The decision to (implement) the lockdown was a very tough decision, but it had to be done" he said.

Questioned about a surging interest among the populace when it came to foreign affairs and global issues as well as their impact, Jaishankar attributed it to the world going through a difficult stage at the moment. "Because of this, more people are developing interest in the world. The second reason is India's globalization. Similar to a cricket team, we want to win matches not just at home, but abroad as well" the External Affairs minister observed.

Earlier, EAM Jaishankar hosted the quad foreign ministers meeting which saw the in-person participation of foreign ministers of Australia, Japan, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The quad leaders during the meeting reaffirmed the Quad’s steadfast commitment to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient.