As the cricketers stride onto the field, the weight of expectation hangs heavy in the air. Both sides don their national colours with pride, knowing that today, everything is on the line. For India, it's a chance to extend its two-year winning streak, while for Australia, it's about reclaiming the prized silverware — and, perhaps more importantly, the bragging rights. But this is not the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, it's the Almond Ashes, an annual friendly cricket clash played as a prelude to boardroom deals between Aussie almond growers and their Indian buyers. The match is played in high spirits and good humour and has become an unexpected but welcome part of an Australian industry expected to hit a value of $1.3 billion this year. This was the first time the match had been played on Australian soil, a tennis green in Mildura in Victoria's north-east, with the previous five matches held on "neutral ground" in Dubai or India. Australia came away with the silverware after a hard-fought match, but competitors from both sides said the real prize is the connections it strengthens between the nations. The Australian advantage India is the second largest importer of Australian almonds behind China, and the shared love of the sport gives growers a valued edge over the largest almond producers in the world, the United States. AlmondCo marketing manager and acting umpire, Paul Stewart, said the game last month was filled with competitive spirit. "There's a unique connection the Australian and Indian industry and even the whole community shares a love of cricket, and that's certainly something our Californian friends can't replicate," Mr Stewart said. Mr Stewart said that sense of humour didn't diminish their competitive edge. "They certainly queried a number of my umpiring decisions that were made in good faith," he joked. "We are all competitors in one way, both teams are made up of people in marketing, processing and growing." Mr Stewart said the game laid the foundation for mutual respect. "It is always very competitive, but at the end of the day I think it just cements a serious business relationship," he said. Strong trading ties Nuts and Dry Fruits Council India president Gunjun Jain said the match elevates the relationship between the two countries. "The whole Almond Ashes has shown that it isn't just business relationships in boardrooms, not just negotiations for two cents, it is the relationship we have now and carry with each other," Mr Jain said. "There was a winning side, there was a losing side, but at the end we are all having a great time, having fun and it has led to better relationships in the industry. "If there are great personal relationships, it leads to better business … it's the camaraderie." Mr Jain said the future looks promising, and a positive perception by consumers of Australian product. "We've seen great resonance with brand Australia in India, they associated it with sophistication and with safety and sustainability," he said. "There's a great future ahead for the Indian-Australian relationship with almonds."