Why are India and England players wearing black armbands in ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test?

Team India and England players will wear black armbands on the opening day (June 20) of the first Test at Leeds. The players will also observe a minute's silence before the start of play.

The gestures from both teams will be a way to pay respect to the victims of the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash that happened on June 12. The latest reports have stated that over 270 lives, including 50+ British nationals, have been lost in the crash.

Team India vice-captain Rishabh Pant got emotional about the incident two days before the first England Test, saying (via Republic World):

"What happened with the aircraft, the whole of India was saddened by it. The only thing from our side, we’re going to be sticking to how we can make India happy again. The emotion is going to be high always because of what happened in the crash, but at the same time, we are going to put our best foot forward for the country. How we can make them happy is an added responsibility."

The South African and Australian players from the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final last week also paid tribute to the victims of the Ahmedabad flight crash by observing a minute's silence and wearing black armbands on the third day of the contest.

Team India to bat first in the first England Test

England captain Ben Stokes won the toss on a sunny morning at Leeds and elected to bowl first. The toss has played a massive role at the venue, with the team batting second emerging victorious in the last six Tests.

The major news from the Indian lineup is the Test debut of Tamil Nadu batter Sai Sudharsan. The 23-year-old is slotted to bat at No.3, sandwiched between the opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul and skipper Shubman Gill at No.4. Karun Nair, returning to the Test side after eight years, will likely bat at No.6.

India's bowling attack includes four pacers - Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur, and the lone spinner, Ravindra Jadeja.

India have not won a Test series in England since their 1-0 triumph in 2007. However, they competed with the hosts on equal footing in their previous UK tour, as the five-Test series ended in a 2-2 draw.

Meanwhile, England have lost a home Test series under Ben Stokes since he was appointed permanent captain in mid-2022.