Embarrassment for PCB as Indian National Anthem played in Lahore during AUS vs ENG match: 'Obsession at an all-time high'

The Pakistan Cricket Board faced a moment of embarrassment when the Indian National Anthem was inadvertently played at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium just before the Australia vs England Champions Trophy match on Saturday. The crowd and players were taken by surprise as the Australians lined up for their National Anthem, only to hear the beginning notes of India's Anthem instead.

The entire episode unfolded after the England national anthem was completed. The cameras quickly panned towards the Australian national flag as soon as it was Australia's turn. But instead, the words "Bhagya Vidhaata" were heard before being cut out. The video is since doing the rounds on social media.

Fans are now coming up with hilarious reactions on X (formerly Twitter), saying Pakistan is desperately missing India.

Here are some of the reactions:

The ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 got underway earlier this week. So far, three matches have happened, and the weekend has brought blockbuster rivalries to the forefront. Australia and England are squaring off in Lahore today before the week ends with the high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

Earlier, a controversy erupted after India's national flag was missing from the roof of the National Stadium in Karachi. The PCB then gave an explanation, saying the directive had come from the ICC that only four flags would be used on match days.

However, during the tournament opener between Pakistan and New Zealand, India's flag was seen back at the top of the National Stadium in Karachi.

Australia win the toss, opt to bowl

In Match 4 of the Champions Trophy, Australia captain Steve Smith won the toss and opted to bowl first. Both teams are looking to turn around their fortunes in the 50-over format. England recently lost an ODI series against India, while Australia suffered a defeat against Sri Lanka.

Australia have not won a match in the Champions Trophy in the last two editions. On the other hand, this is the first time England are playing an ODI in Pakistan since December 2005.

At the time of the toss, Smith said, "Looks a pretty good surface. There's a bit of dew when we were practising, so we'll like to chase later on."

Wheres Buttler said, "We probably would have batted, we were a bit 50-50 whether the dew comes in or not. Looks a really good surface, look to try and make good first use of it."

ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025, IPL 2025 Schedule and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news along with AUS vs ENG Live Score. .freemium-card h4{color:#fff; padding-bottom:20px;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{padding-bottom:16px; color:#fff;} .freemium-card .freemium-content{width: auto; max-width: inherit;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{max-width:inherit; font-size:18px; padding-top:0; line-height:24px} .freemium-card .btnSubc{margin} .freemium-card .btnSubc a{background:#000; color:#fff; min-width:auto; padding:5px 15px; border-radius:6px; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:700;} .freemium-card{height:285px} @media (max-width: 767px) { .freemium-card h4{font-size:28px} .freemium-card .freemium-content{max-width:360px; padding: 20px;} .freemium-card{height:303px; background-position: 100% 0; } }