Revealed: Why India and Australia players are wearing black armbands in MCG T20I?
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Both Indian and Australian cricketers have been spotted wearing black armbands as they take the field on the 31st of October at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the second T20I match.
India and Australia had the first match of the series washed out by rain in the capital city of Canberra. They have now moved to Melbourne, a ground that witnessed one of the most intense and glorious contests in the history of Indian cricket.
However, India started the game with another tragic defeat in the toss. The Australian skipper and the Indian skipper were then seen for the first time with the black armbands, which left the internet curious. With no rain forecasted today, this will be the first complete match in the series.
Why are Indian and Australian players wearing black armbands?
A major tragedy struck Australian cricket on Thursday as 17-year-old cricketer Ben Austin passed away after being fatally injured by a ball during practice sessions on Wednesday. Austin's death has led to a cloud of melancholy within Australian cricket.
As revealed, the Australian as well as Indian cricketers are wearing the black armbands to pay their tribute to the young cricketer who lost his life on the field. A truly compassionate step taken by the Indian national side as well as the BCCI.
Both teams also stood in silence for a minute alongside the Match officials and the representatives from Austin's cricket club. A huge MCG crowd of nearly 75000 also stood in his respect as his image was portrayed on the big screen.
The women of India and Australia also wore black armbands in the ICC World Cup semi-final match
The Indian Women's National team took on the Australian Women in the second semi-final match of the ICC Women's World Cup 2025. As the players took to the field, they had the black armbands as well, as a tribute to the young Australian cricketer.
That match ended with some stellar action between the two sides, with 650+ runs scored across the two innings and India registering a historic chase for the first time in the history of both Women's cricket and the Women's World Cup.
Also, the Sheffield Shield games that concluded on Friday marked the players from those teams, Victoria and Tasmania, wearing the black armbands and then also putting their bat in memory of the 17-year-old braveheart.
Abhishek Sharma's flawless inning ruined by India's horrifying collapse
The Indian team looked like toddlers in front of Josh Hazlewood and the rest of the Australian bowlers. Hazlewood ran through the Indian top order with three wickets first up. Abhishek Sharma, the Indian opener, however, continued to score runs from the other end.
Despite wickets falling from the other end, there was no change to Abhishek Sharma's approach with the bat. He kept targeting the boundaries and did not, for once, look out of control. After a stellar composed innings of 68 runs and a partnership alongside Harshit Rana (35), he took India to 125 in their 18.4 overs.
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India National Cricket Team Australia National Cricket Team India vs Australia Australia vs India Suryakumar Yadav Mitchell Marsh
