In tribute to Wayne Larkins: India and England players don black armbands
Hosting India for the 2nd Test of the five-match series at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Wednesday, Ben Stokes-led England side was wearing a black armband to pay homage to former Northamptonshire cricketer Wayne Larkins.
Nicknamed Ned, the former England and Northamptonshire star played 13 Tests and 25 One Day Internationals for the Three Lions between 1979 and 1991. Larkins died aged 71 after a short illness in June.
Larkins recorded 716 appearances for Northamptonshire in the first-class formats where he smashed 29,929 runs and notched up 60 centuries. Larkins produced his most iconic moment for England in 1990. The late England cricketer scored winning runs at Sabina Park to seal a famous Test win over the mighty West Indies.
The Northamptonshire icon also played for Durham. The opening batter represented Northants when they clinched their first major title, the Gillette Cup, in 1976.
He later moved to Durham in 1991 and later had brief stints with Minor Counties teams Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire before retiring from professional cricket in 2001. Paying their respects to the former cricketer, the Indian team also wore black armbands in the 2nd Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in Birmingham.
The teams also wore black armbands during the 1st Test to honour those who tragically lost their lives in the passenger plane crash in Ahmedabad in June.
Stokes denies Jaiswal his second ton of the series
England captain Stokes proved his worth by getting the better of an on-song Yashasvi Jaiswal as Team India reached 182-3 at Tea on the opening day at Edgbaston. Jaiswal was denied a century by Stokes as the England skipper dismissed the opener for 87. Riding on Indian skipper Shubman Gill's gritty knock of 79 off 167 balls, the visitors scored 247-5 in 71 overs.