Australia has a fascinating knack for blending a strong national identity with a truly multicultural populace. 50 percent of residents have at least one parent who was born outside Australia, and last year, India became the third most common country of birth for Australians. As nations, Australia and India seem very different. Yet when you look beyond aspects like population distribution, there are more synergies and similarities than you might think.
Two cricketing giants
England might be the nominal home of cricket, but in terms of popularity, it languishes far behind soccer in its country of origin. The love of cricket in India goes without saying, and if any other nation comes even close, it is Australia. These are the two teams that have dominated in both the test and one day arenas over the past 20 years, and both have developed T20 leagues that attract the most talented players in the world.
Just as important as the talent of Tendulkar and Srinath, Ponting and McGrath, however, is the passion and support of both Indian and Australian fans. Both sides have had their dark times in terms of form, but you’ll never see less than a full house of fans at Eden Gardens or the MCG.
A passion for technology
India and Australia can both be described as early adopters when it comes to technology. India’s passion for tech has completely reinvented cities like Bangalore where incidentally, Australia has established a Centre for Excellence for Critical and Emerging Technology Policy.
Areas like software development and game design are growing rapidly in both nations, and this is just one of several initiatives in which Australia and India are joining forces and sharing resources to show they are a power to be reckoned with, even when up against competition from the USA and China.
Cards on the table – at home or in the casino
Australia and India have a shared love of card games, and in particular of learning new ones. In generations gone by, these were played with family and friends, while these days, they are as likely to be played at the casino. If you visit one of the Australia casino sites at topaustraliangambling.com, as well as traditional western card games like baccarat and blackjack, you will see India classics including Andar Bahar and Teen Patti.
These have proved to be a massive hit among online casino players in Australia, and not only those of Indian origin. The beauty of these games is they are both simple, and it will take you a matter of minutes to get the hang of them. Andar Bahar is a pure game of chance, with some similarities to modern baccarat. Teen Patti is a game that is based on brag. The scoring is a little similar to 3-card poker, with the exception that a trio (three of a kind) beats a mini full house.
More than just cricket and curry
When Australia and India announced a new trade deal last year, Scott Morrison who was still Prime Minister at the time, took to social media, sharing details of the curries he was cooking for his family. The post was a light-hearted reference to a long standing joke that Australian and India are two nations bound by a shared love of cricket and curry.
That’s certainly part true. We have already looked at the cricketing part, and while today, you will find a fabulous range of authentic Indian cuisines in every Australian city, the history of Australia and curry is a whole story in its own right – curried wombat anyone?
Scott Morrison was keen to make the point that cricket and curry is a great starting point, but the relationship between India and Australia runs far deeper, while Indian Leader of the House Piyush Goyal described the two nations as “brothers.” In these turbulent international times, it is a relationship that should not be taken lightly.