'This speech is going to be more of a punishment. I spoke too much this afternoon' A tireless Prime Minister Narendra Modi left over 700 notable luminaries in peals of laughter with his quick wit and sense of humour during a dinner and reception hosted by Indian Ambassador Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the Taj-owned, The Pierre Hotel. In the presence of the who's who of desi Americans and US lawmakers, Modi once again thanked the Indian-Americans for their contributions and discussed his plans of developing India and the ties he hopes to nurture with America. Aziz Haniffa/Rediff.com presents a sneak-peak into the festive, grand dinner.
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, US Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker from New Jersey and US Congressmen Steny Hoyer (Maryland), Ami Bera and Ed Royce (California) Elliott Engel, Joe Crowley, Nita Lowey, Carolyn Maloney, Jerald Nadler (New York), Frank Pallone (New Jersey), Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas) Joe Wilson (South Carolina) and Jim McDermott (Washington) are among those confirmed their attendance.
'What has cemented the renewed bilateral commitment is the maturity of the relationship. This has been reflected at the highest levels, with you and President Obama driving the relationship, and at the citizen-to-citizen level.'
India's rivalry with Australia dates back to 1947-48 when Lala Amarnath's team travelled to take on the hosts, who were captained by batting great Don Bradman. The visitors were beaten 4-0 in the five-match series. A statistical analysis of the Test record between the two teams.