IND vs ENG: Why are India-England players wearing black armbands on Day 1 in Leeds Test?

A new chapter in Indian cricket begins today (June 20) with the inaugural match of the newly established Anderson-Tendulkar trophy at Headingley Cricket Stadium in Leeds, where the England Cricket Team is set to face India in the opening game of a prestigious five-match Test series. Players from both teams are stepping onto the field wearing black armbands.

This gesture is made to honor the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash. For those who may not know, an Air India Flight (AI 171) en route from Ahmedabad to London (Gatwick airport) tragically crashed on June 12, just seconds after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

Out of the 242 individuals on board, 241 lost their lives, and several others were killed or injured at BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad, which the aircraft impacted. Among the deceased, 159 were Indian, 53 were from the United Kingdom, seven were from Portugal, and one was Canadian. The sole survivor was also a British national.

"Both teams will wear black armbands today as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in the Air India plane crash. Out thoughts are with all those affected by the terrible events that took place in Ahmedabad last week," said the England Cricket Board in a statement.

Talking about the match,  Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bowl first. India gave a debut to Sai Sudharsan, while Karun Nair made a return after eight years. Shardul Thakur was selected as the fourth pacer, which means Ravindra Jadeja is the sole spinner in the squad, as Kuldeep Yadav was not included. Dhurv Jurel and Nitsh Kumar Reddy were also left out. The three specialist pacers are Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.

IND vs ENG Playing XIs 

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna 

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

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