Cricket eases tension in 8216;racist8217; Australia

Australia have been reeling under racism with activists claiming there have been close to 70 such attacks on Indian students in Melbourne this year. This has also strained relations between the two countries.

Hodge,who turned out for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League and had also toured the sub-continent with the Australia team,chose the occasion to show solidarity for the Indian students,about 95,000 of whom study Down Under.

8220;Whenever any Australian cricketers go to India,we8217;re welcomed with open arms,8221; said Hodge.

8220;Today is about standing alongside Indians who8217;ve come to Australia and letting them know that we welcome them,and value highly their contribution to our country,8221; he told reporters after the game.

Amit Menghani,president of the Federation of Indian Students in Australia,welcomed the move.

8220;It is wonderful to see such a positive initiative from the cricket community and the Victorian Police,8221; he said. 8220;Recent weeks have been extremely tough so it8217;s most heartening to see cricket helping reinforce the need for mutual understanding and respect.

8220;There remains work to be done but even little events like these can go a long way,8221; he said.