The Australian and Indian players came together to form a barefoot circle in a powerful stance against racism, while also acknowledging the culture of indigenous people, ahead of the first ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

While many sporting teams across the world have preferred to take a knee, the Australian cricket team has decided to form barefoot circle ceremonies before all international matches.

The Barefoot Circle is a statement taken up by Australian cricket more broadly to connect with Aboriginal culture and the land on which matches are played.

“The barefoot circle is a cricket centric way for players and teams to take a moment prior to matches to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land, connect to each other as opponents and pay respect to the country,” said Cricket Australia.

“This is done barefoot as a way to connect to country, but also a moment to reflect that we are all common ground, we are all human beings and we need to stand strong with each other, for each other.”

The Australian women's national team had also formed a barefoot circle with New Zealand players in Brisbane ahead of the limited overs series in September.

Last week, the Sheffield Shield teams had gathered in a barefoot circle before their matches to mark the start of NAIDOC week, while the Women's Big Bash League players have taken a knee to support the BLM movement.