Players from both India and England will wear black armbands on June 20, the first day of the opening Test in Leeds. A minute’s silence will also be held before the match begins. These gestures are meant to honour the victims of the tragic plane crash that occurred in Ahmedabad on June 12. According to recent reports, the crash claimed more than 270 lives, including over 50 British nationals.
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 🖤 pic.twitter.com/xojt3zENLZ
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 20, 2025
India’s vice-captain Rishabh Pant expressed his emotions about the tragedy just two days ahead of the first Test against England, stating (as quoted by Republic World):
“What happened with the aircraft, the whole of India was saddened by it. The only thing from our side, we’re going to be sticking to how we can make India happy again. 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.”
Players from South Africa and Australia in last week’s 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final also honoured the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash by wearing black armbands and observing a minute’s silence on the third day of the match.
India Opt To Bat First In Opening Test Against England
On a sunny morning in Leeds, England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bowl, following the venue’s trend of teams winning while batting second. India handed a Test debut to 23-year-old Sai Sudharsan, who will bat at No. 3. Karun Nair also returns to the side after eight years and is likely to bat at No. 6.
India’s bowling unit features a pace-heavy lineup with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur, along with spin support from Ravindra Jadeja. India last won a Test series in England in 2007, but showed strong performance in their previous tour, drawing the five-match series 2-2.
On the other hand, England are yet to lose a home Test series under Ben Stokes’ leadership since he became full-time captain in mid-2022.
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