India and England are all set to revive their rivalry on Friday, June 20, when both teams will kick off the battle for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at the Headingley Stadium in Leeds. Ahead of the five-match Test series opener in Leeds, the ECB and BCCI have taken an important decision.
Actually, India and England will come together to pay tribute to the victims of the devastating Ahmedabad air crash before the start of the first Test at Headingley on Friday.
The horrific incident involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 181 Indian nationals and 53 British citizens. The aircraft tragically crashed into a hostel block near the B.J. Medical College in Meghaninagar, leaving both nations in grief.
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Now, both India and England teams will wear black armbands and observe a minute’s silence in memory of the 274 lives lost in the June 12 Air India plane crash tragedy in Ahmedabad.
The tribute at Leeds highlights both teams’s collective desire to bring hope and happiness back to their respective countries through their actions. Earlier, Australian and South African players also paid tribute to the victims of the Air India crash during the WTC Final at Lord’s.
Rishabh Pant says Team India will play to heal the nation after the Ahmedabad air tragedy
Meanwhile, ahead of the first Test against England, India’s vice-captain Rishabh Pant shared the team’s mourning over the Ahmedabad air tragedy. Pant said the players are heartbroken by the loss and want to bring some happiness back to the country through their performance.
Rishabh Pant said at the pre-match press conference, “What happened with the aircraft, the whole of India was saddened by it. The only thing from our side is we’re going to be sticking to how we can make India happy again.”
Pant admitted that emotions will be high, but the team is focused on giving their best on the field in the upcoming five-match Test series against England. He noted that they feel a special responsibility to uplift the spirits of the nation during this difficult time.
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The vice-captain further added, “The emotion is going to be high always because of what happened in the crash, but at the same time, we are going to put our best foot forward for the country. How we can make them happy is an added responsibility.”
Can Shubman Gill break India’s 17-year drought in England?
Well, India will kick off a new era in Tests after Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement from the format. Leading the Indian Test team for the first time is a big responsibility, and the challenge is even tougher for Shubman Gill, who is set to make his captaincy debut in England.
India doesn’t have a good record in England. Since playing their first Test there in 1932, India has managed to win only three series and just nine matches in total on English soil. Their first series win came in 1971 under Ajit Wadekar. Then, Kapil Dev led India to victory in 1986.
After a long wait, Rahul Dravid became the third Indian captain to win a series in England in 2007. Now, 17 years later, Gill has a golden chance to add his name to this rare list.
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