SA Vs AUS, WTC Final 2025: Players Wear Black Armband To Honour Victims Of Ahmedabad Air India Plane Crash

South Africa and Australia players have been spotted wearing the black armband on Day 3 of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 at Lord's on Friday, June 13. The gesture was to honour the victims who lost their lives in the horrific Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday, June 12.

An Air India flight, Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was scheduled to fly to Gatwick Airport in London from Ahmedabad, reportedly carrying 242 on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. However, shortly after takeoff, the flight crashed into the hostel of BJ Medical College in the Meghani area. It was reported that the flight took off at 1:38 pm, and five minutes later, it crashed into a nearby hostel, causing an explosion and fire.

The Air India tragedy not only shook India but also the entire world, with global leaders expressing their condolences and solidarity. The tragedy claimed the lives of 241 passengers, including Indian nationals and UK citizens, and one passenger of Indian-origin British nationality managed to survive with critical injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital in Ahmedabad.

Lord's crowd and players observe a minute's silence

Ahead of the Day 3 play of the World Test Championship Final between South Africa and Australia, players of both teams assembled at the centre of the field along with the match officials to observe a minute's silent tribute to the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash.

The crowd at the Lord's too stood in silence, paying their respects with bowed heads, and creating a poignant and sombre atmosphere in honour of the victims of the tragic crash. The tragic Air India plane crash sent shockwaves across the world, leaving the families devastated and prompting an outpouring of grief and solidarity from the international community.

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Among the victims of the tragic plane crash was Vijay Rupani, a former Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP leader, who was en route to London to meet his wife and daughter after six months. Apart from 169 Indian nationals and 53 UK citizens, 1 Canadian national, and 7 Portuguese nationals also lost their lives in the crash, as per the statement by Air India. This is one of the deadliest aviation tragedies in recent Indian history.

The aircraft was being flown by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, with First Officer Clive Kundar as the co-pilot. Captain Sabharwal is a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience. Officials also said that the co-pilot had 1,100 hours of flying experience.

Mitchell Starc holds the fort for Australia on Day 3

After paying silent tribute to the Air India plane crash victims, the South Africa and Australia players resumed play with renewed focus and composure, as Mitchell Starc is holding the fort for the defending champions with a gritty lower-order resistance to keep the team in the contest.

Australia resumed their second innings batting with 144/8 and a 218-run lead, with Starc and Nathan Lyon batting on 16 and 1. In the opening session of the day, Kagiso Rabada picked his fourth wicket by dismissing Nathan Lyon for 2, trapping him with LBW as Australia's lead extended past 220. Thereafter, Mitchell Starc was joined by Josh Hazlewood to carry on Australia's innings.

Josh Hazlewood is playing as a second fiddle, while Mitchell Starc has continued to frustrate the South African bowlers with his determined resistance, as Australia's lead went past 260 runs. At the time of writing this article, Australia were 186/9 with Starc and Hazlewood batting on 44 and 10, respectively.

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