Melbourne: The Indian players wore black armbands on the second day of the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The team honoured former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away on Thursday night. Dr Manmohan Singh passed away due to a prolonged illness on Thursday. The pioneer of several economic reforms was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi after a sudden loss of consciousness according to a statement released by the hospital.
The Indian women's team also paid tribute to Manmohan Singh by wearing black armbands during the third ODI against West Indies. They have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and are playing the final fixture. Renuka Singh Thakur provided early blows for the Indian team by decimating the Caribbean top order in the fixture.
The Indian Cricket Team is wearing black armbands as a mark of respect to former Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh who passed away on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/nXVUHSaqel
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 27, 2024
Manmohan Singh worked as Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996 and his crucial role in steering the economy helped him ascend to the position of Prime Minister.
Sportspersons like Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag paid tributes to the Ex-PM. Athletes recalled his calm and impactful leadership during his two-term tenure as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014.
Team India is wearing black armbands today as a mark of respect to former Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh, who passed away on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/W2XpTBMujH
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 27, 2024
After choosing to bat first, debutant Sam Konstas justified Australia’s decision. He provided the Aussies with a quick start by playing a knock of 60 runs from 65 balls. The batters after him capitalised on the momentum with Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne scoring fifties. Steve Smith further strengthened Australia’s position in Tests by hitting the 34th Test hundred of his career.
The series between India and Australia is levelled at 1-1 and the result will be crucial for both teams as it might impact their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. This will be the last WTC series for India while Australia will tour Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series.
