WTC Final: Players Wear Black Armbands, Observe Silence for Ahmedabad Air Crash Victims

LONDON: During the ongoing third day of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s Cricket Ground, players from South Africa and Australia, along with match officials, are sporting black armbands.

The ultimate Test match is poised for an exhilarating conclusion as Australia, the defending champions, have presented South Africa with a challenging target of 282 runs.

The pivotal third day of this significant match began solemnly as players from both teams and the match officials entered the field wearing black armbands. They observed a minute of silence to honor the memory of the victims of the devastating Ahmedabad air disaster, which resulted in the loss of 241 lives.

The tragic event unfolded on Thursday afternoon when a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers, crashed into a hostel shortly after takeoff.

International media sources report that the catastrophic event claimed over 260 lives, making it the deadliest air crash in the past decade.

Following the moment of silence, play resumed in the WTC final as the two sides competed for the coveted Test mace.

Australia, the defending champions, resumed their second innings at 144/8 with Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. They added a significant 63 runs to their total, with Starc remaining undefeated at 58.

Having secured a first-innings lead of 74 runs, the defending champions set South Africa a formidable 282-run target to secure their first International Cricket Council (ICC) title since 1998.

At the time of reporting, South Africa was in a reasonable position at 63/1, chasing 282, with Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder not out on 29 and 27, respectively.