WATCH: UK PM Rishi Sunak's Fiery 'Sandpaper' Response To Australian Counterpart Anthony Albanese's Mention Of Jonny Bairstow Dismissal

Noted for their wit and humour, the two Prime Ministers couldn’t resist themselves from teasing each other over the performance and controversy that revolved around both the teams. 

Both the Australian and UK Prime Ministers, Anthony Albanese and Rishi Sunak, were seen engaging in a playful banter and took the Ashes rivalry to the next level in the recent NATO Summit held on Tuesday (July 11). Noted for their wit and humour, the two Prime Ministers couldn’t resist themselves from teasing each other over the performance and controversy that revolved around both the teams. 

The Australian Prime Minister pulled out a piece of paper that said that Australia is now leading the best-of-five-match Test series by 2-1. Sunak responded quickly, pulling a shot from his portfolio of Mark Wood and Chris Woakes, celebrating their triumph at Leeds. 

Not one to back down, Albanese responded by showing an image of England's contentious dismissal of Jonny Bairstow in the second Test. Sunak responded in style, saying: "I am sorry, I didn’t bring my sandpaper with me." Sunak was referring to the major ball-tampering incident involving the Australian cricket team in South Africa in 2018. Sunak continued the humorous digs on Twitter, vowing to give Albanese one of their ministerial folders, followed by a pleasant reminder of the recent match outcome.

Albanese also tweeted: “I caught up with Prime Minister @RishiSunak to discuss progress with AUKUS, technology transfer, and economic challenges, as well as the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement.”

He continued: “And of course, we discussed the #Ashes.”

The Ashes 2023 has been subject to a lot of debate and discussions, both the Prime Ministers have taken a firm stand on the controversy over Bairstow’s dismissal. While Sunak’s spokesperson expressed his dissatisfaction and called Bairstow’s dismissal breaking the spirit of the game, Albanese proudly lauded and defended the Australian Team, acknowledging their win. 

The two Prime Ministers' meeting included discussions on a variety of bilateral matters in addition to cricket. Among the subjects discussed during their meeting were AUKUS, technology transfer, and the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement.

As the Ashes series continues, cricket fans on both sides are eagerly awaiting the results of the upcoming matches, with Australia now leading 2-1. The Ben Stokes led squad will need to buckle up in order to beat the Australian team and level the series as the next match will take place at the Old Trafford in Manchester from July 19-23.