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The second Test between India and England at Edgbaston began on a solemn note as players from both teams paid tribute to former England batter Wayne Larkins, who passed away recently.

Ahead of the match, players stood in remembrance and wore black armbands as a mark of respect. The crowd also joined in with a round of heartfelt applause in memory of the late cricketer.

Tribute to Wayne Larkins

The Indian team is currently on a five-match Test tour of England. After losing the first Test in Leeds by five wickets, India entered the second match looking to bounce back. But before play began, the spotlight was on Wayne Larkins, who sadly passed away three days before the Test, at the age of 71, after a brief illness.

Nicknamed “Ned”, Larkins represented England from 1979 to 1991, playing in 13 Test matches and 25 ODIs. He was part of England’s squad in the 1979 World Cup final, where he batted at No. 7 and also bowled two overs.

At the domestic level, Larkins was a stalwart for Northamptonshire, representing the county in an astounding 700 matches. Later in his career, he moved to Durham, from where he eventually retired. Over the course of his long career, he amassed over 40,000 runs and scored 85 centuries.

One of his most memorable moments came during the 1989-90 West Indies tour, where he scored the winning runs in the first Test — his 7th Test match, coming eight years after his previous appearance.

However, his career also had its share of controversy — Larkins was handed a three-year ban for participating in the rebel tour of South Africa in 1982.