Watch: Graham Thorpe honored as fans, England and Sri Lanka players unite in heartfelt applause

England cricketers, support staff members, and fans paid tribute to former player and coach Graham Thorpe before the start of the first Test match against Sri Lanka. Players and fans gave an echoing round of applause to Graham Thorpe before the start of the Test series between England and Sri Lanka.

Thorpe took his own life at the age of 55 earlier this month after battling depression and anxiety. Thorpe had been struggling with severe illness since 2022. The first Test of the three-match series at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester is England’s first international since his death.

Watch: England Players And Fans Pay Tribute To Graham Thorpe

Before the series opener, England's cricket team and support staff honored Thorpe with applause as his picture was shown on a giant screen in the stadium. Players from both teams wore black armbands, and England will continue to wear theirs throughout the ongoing Test match in Manchester.

"The whole game is still trying to come to terms with the tragic passing of Graham Thorpe. More than being one of England's finest ever batters, Graham was a beloved member of the cricket family and respected by fans all over the world. The cricket world has been in mourning since we heard the news.

Our thoughts remain with his wife Amanda, his children, his father Jeff, and all of his family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time. We will always remember Graham for his extraordinary contributions to cricket," it was said during the heartfelt tribute.

Here is a video showing England players and the Manchester crowd honoring Graham Thorpe before the start of the opening Test.

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Graham Thorpe's Impressive Stats For England In International Cricket

The former Surrey cricketer played for the England national cricket team in 100 Test matches. He scored 6,744 runs at an average of 44.60, including 16 centuries and 39 half-centuries. The former batter amassed 2,380 runs in 82 ODI matches at an average of 37.19, including 21 half-centuries.

Thorpe amassed nearly 33,000 runs in first-class and List-A cricket. He worked as England's assistant coach and interim head coach for T20Is against Pakistan in 2020 and a Test during the 2021-22 Ashes. He was announced as Afghanistan's head coach in March 2022 but couldn't start due to illness.

Sri Lanka suffered a collapse on Opening Day of the First Test

Dhananjaya de Silva chose to bat after winning the toss. However, the decision didn't go in their favor as they lost three wickets for six runs within seven overs. Dimuth Karunaratne was dismissed for two by Gus Atkinson. Chris Woakes dismissed Nishan Madushka and Angelo Mathews in the next over.

Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal tried to rescue the team with a building partnership. The duo added 34 runs before Mark Wood took the wicket of Kusal Mendis, who scored 24 runs off 34 balls. The visiting team lost four wickets for just 40 runs on the board in their first innings of the ongoing match.

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