Explained: Why Are Players Wearing Black Bands on Day 1 of IND vs ENG 2nd Test?

India and England players were seen wearing black armbands during the second Test match in Birmingham on Wednesday. This was done to honour former England cricketer Wayne Larkins, who passed away on June 28. England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bowl first against India. England lead the five-match series 1-0 after winning the first match in Leeds by five wickets.

“Both teams are wearing black armbands to honour Wayne Larkins, the former England cricketer who sadly passed away. A short round of applause was held before the start of play on Day 1 of the second Test in Birmingham,” said the BCCI in an official statement.

Dominant in County Cricket: Over 27,000 Runs and 59 Centuries in First-Class Career

Larkins, known for his attacking batting style especially in one-day matches played 13 Test matches and 25 ODIs for England between 1979 and 1991. He scored 493 runs in 25 Test innings, including three half-centuries, and made 591 runs in ODIs, with one century. He was also a top performer in county cricket, playing for Northamptonshire and Durham. In first-class cricket, he scored over 27,000 runs, including 59 centuries. Larkins was considered one of the most dangerous opening batters in domestic cricket during the 1970s and 1980s, and he also played for England in the 1979 ODI World Cup.

Earlier, Wayne Larkins’ wife, Debbie, shared an emotional tribute on the Northamptonshire website. She wrote: “Ned loved everyone he met, and everyone loved him. People were drawn to his infectious energy. He lit up every room and never wanted the party to finish. He loved his soul mate of a wife and his precious daughters so much. He will be partying up in the sky, drinking a toast to everyone and to his own life. We are devastated, but we’ll never forget his undeniably unique presence and his impact on our lives.”

England vs India 2nd Test Day 1: Playing XIs

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

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