Australia sought some spiritual guidance ahead of the crucial fourth Test against India in Dharamsala as their players enjoyed an audience with the Dalai Lama.
Captain Steve Smith led the delegation to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader on Friday at his Himalayan base as his team prepared to once again cross swords with India in what has been a fractious series so far.
Smith sought enlightenment on how he could get a better night's sleep after struggling to get a proper night's rest on the tour.
"I asked him a question about sleep and how he could help me, and he gave me his blessings," he said.
"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."
Asked how else the team might benefit from the meeting, Smith told cricket.com.au: "(It will) probably just relax us a little bit.
"He's all about compassion and oneness for each and every human being, and it was great to hear something like that from someone as prestigious as the Dalai Lama.
"It was a great experience for all of us.
"If we can learn anything from it, it is that perhaps sometimes we get a bit over the top when we are out there playing cricket.
"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.
"And that's something that perhaps this team can take from meeting with the Dalai Lama."
Source: PA
