Why Are Players Wearing Black Armbands in the IND vs ENG Test on Day 5?

On Day 5 of the first Test at Headingley, players from both India and England wore black armbands to pay tribute to former India spinner Dilip Doshi passed away in London on Monday following a cardiac arrest. Before the start of play, a moment of silence was observed to honour his memory and the contributions he made to Indian cricket over the years.

Left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi represented India between 1979 and 1983, playing in 33 Tests and 15 ODIs. He picked up 114 wickets in Test cricket and 22 in the ODI format. Doshi made his Test debut against Australia in Chennai and made an immediate impact he’s one of only nine Indian players to take a five-wicket haul on debut, a rare and proud achievement in Indian cricket history.

Dilip Doshi’s Domestic Dominance: 898 First-Class Wickets

Dilip Doshi had a rich cricketing journey, representing Saurashtra and Bengal in domestic cricket, and later playing county cricket for Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire. Across his first-class career, he picked up a remarkable 898 wickets. On Day 5 of the Headingley Test, former India coach Ravi Shastri shared some warm memories during commentary mentioning that Doshi was a huge fan of Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones. Shastri also said Doshi was seen enjoying the third and fourth days of the recent World Test Championship final at Lord’s. “It’s happened so suddenly,” Shastri added, reflecting on the shock of Doshi’s passing.

Roger Binny Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Doshi

Both teams are wearing black armbands today in memory of former Indian cricketer Dilip Doshi, who passed away on Monday.

The teams also observed a minute's silence before the start of Day 5. pic.twitter.com/1npOAo4ihp

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 24, 2025

Dilip Doshi made his Test debut at the age of 32 in 1979, and despite the late start, he left a strong mark with six five-wicket hauls in his Test career. Following the news of his passing, BCCI President Roger Binny paid tribute to the former spinner.

“It is with deep sadness that we learn of the passing of Dilip Doshi. He was a true artist of spin bowling, a gentleman both on and off the field, and a dedicated servant of Indian cricket,” Binny said in an official statement released by the BCCI.

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