Why India, England players are wearing black armbands in Birmingham Test?

India and England players were spotted wearing the black armband in the second Test match in Birmingham on Wednesday. It was in tribute to former England cricketer Wayne Larkins, who passed away on June 28. Home captain Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bowl against India. England have a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, having won the opener in Leeds by five wickets. England's Ben Stokes applauds with teammates as they line up during the national anthems before the match(Action Images via Reuters)

"Both teams are wearing black armbands to pay their respects to Wayne Larkins - the former England Cricketer, who has sadly passed away. There was a moment's applause before the start of play on Day 1 of the second Test in Birmingham," read BCCI's update.

Who was Wayne Larkins?

Larkins, known for his aggressive batting style, especially in limited-overs cricket, represented England in 13 Test matches and 25 ODIs between 1979 and 1991. He scored 493 runs in 25 Test innings, with three fifties, and amassed 591 runs in the 50-over format, with one century. He was also a prolific run-scorer in county cricket, representing Northamptonshire and Durham. He scored over 27,000 first-class runs, laced with 59 centuries.

The former England batter, deemed one of the most destructive openers in domestic cricket during the 1970s and 1980s, also represented England in the 1979 ODI World Cup.

Earlier, Larkins' wife, Debbie, paid an emotional tribute on the Northamptonshire website. She wrote: "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.

Talking about the game at Edgbaston, India, in a desperate move to level the score, added more batting depth with the inclusion of Washington Sundar as the second spin-bowling all-rounder in place of Shardul Thakur, while Sai Sudharsan was brutally dropped to make way for fast-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. India also rested Jasprit Bumrah to manage his workload as Akash Deep replaced him in the line-up.

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