India and England players are wearing black armbands on the opening day of the second Test in the ongoing series on Wednesday, July 2, at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Both teams are honoring the late former England, Northamptonshire, and Durham cricketer Wayne Larkins, who passed away on June 28.
India and England players wore black armbands during multiple days of the first Test in Leeds. On Day 1, the tribute was for the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash. On Day 3, players honored former England pacer David Lawrence, while the final day's gesture was in memory of ex-India spinner Dilip Doshi.
During the national anthem ahead of the match, players were seen wearing black armbands as a tribute. Wayne Larkins played 482 first-class matches, amassing an impressive 27,142 runs.
Larkins, universally known as "Ned," passed away earlier this week. He represented England in international cricket from 1979 to 1991, featuring in 13 Test matches and 25 ODIs. Larkins amassed 493 runs in Tests and 591 in ODIs.
Notably, he struck the winning runs in England’s memorable victory over the West Indies at Sabina Park in 1990. He made his international debut against New Zealand in an ODI at Manchester on June 20, 1979, and played his final match for England in an ODI against Australia in Melbourne on January 10, 1991.
Debbie Larkins Pays Emotional Tribute to Late Husband on Northamptonshire Website
Wayne Larkins’ wife, Debbie, shared a heartfelt tribute following his passing. In a message on the Northamptonshire website, she expressed the family’s devastation at his loss but added that his presence in their lives will never be forgotten.
"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," she added.
Jasprit Bumrah Left Out of India's Playing XI for 2nd Test
England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bowl first in the second Test of the five-match series. The home team named an unchanged XI from their five-wicket win in the Leeds Test, while the Men in Blue made three changes to their lineup.
Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan, and Shardul Thakur were left out. Akash Deep, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy returned to the lineup. Bumrah, who was the best bowler in the first Test, has been rested for workload management and is expected to return for the third Test at Lord’s.
The third Test of the five-match series is scheduled to take place at Lord’s Cricket Ground from July 10 to 14. England will be hoping to enter the third Test with a 2-0 lead, while India will aim to level the series.
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