The Dalai Lama blesses Steve Smith and co ahead of the fourth Test

It is almost like a custom that the visiting team gets the blessing of His Holiness Dalai Lama, the 14th Dalai Lama when they visit Dharamsala for a game. The Australian team made a 6km road trip up to the Dhalaudhar range to McLeod Ganj in the morning to meet the “Man of simplicity”. The visiting Australian team was granted an audience with His Holiness, who blessed the visiting team with his kind and blessed words.

The Australian team, in particular, the captain Steve Smith has been plagued by insomnia and has also struggled during his six-week campaign thus far in Asia, only able to string 4-5 hours of sleep every night. The skipper is not the only Aussie batsman to have suffered severe sleep deprivation caused by the Indian bowlers throughout the tour, with even the bowlers facing the same after their tremendous work rate with the ball in the third Test at Ranchi.

“It was great,” Smith said today after the team’s hour-long meeting with His Holiness who hugged and conferred a personal blessing on Australia’s most famous contemporary cricketer. “I asked him a question about sleep and how he could help me, and he gave me his blessings.

“We rubbed our noses together and he gave me some blessings, so hopefully it will help me with my sleep over the next five days.”

The 81-year-old Dalai Lama, who often is a darling of the worldwide television chat show circuit for his sense of humour has often described himself as a noble and a simple man.

Smith, feels that the aura of the modest monk would come as a boon for the team, resonating throughout the course of the fourth Test at Dharamsala. Smith, concluded by saying that “It’s a tough game, but at the end of the day it’s just a game and you need to realise that at times.”