On an emotionally charged day at Headingley, India and England players wore black armbands and observed a moment of silence before the national anthems to honour the victims of the tragic Air India Flight AI 171 crash. The five-Test Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy began under somber skies on June 20, as both teams came together in solidarity for the lives lost in the June 12 disaster in Ahmedabad.
The crash occurred just moments after the flight took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport en route to London Gatwick. Of the 242 individuals on board, 241 perished, making it one of the deadliest air tragedies in recent Indian aviation history. The lone survivor was a British national. The disaster had wide-reaching effects, including significant losses to the BJ Medical College community in Ahmedabad.
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According to official statements, both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) coordinated the tribute. “The Indian team, along with the England team, will wear black armbands today as a mark of respect,” the BCCI noted. The ECB added, “Our thoughts are with all those affected by the terrible events in Ahmedabad.”
This isn’t the first time the cricketing world has paid tribute. During the WTC 2025 Final at Lord’s, players from South Africa and Australia also wore black armbands and observed silence. The Indian team echoed the gesture earlier in an intra-squad match in Beckenham.
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However, controversy emerged online over the rendition of the Indian national anthem, with fans criticizing the choice of a British singer unfamiliar with the correct pronunciation of the Hindi lyrics.
Indian national anthem in brit accent 🤦🏻♂️
— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) June 20, 2025
An observation in today’s National Anthem of India song by the lady (don’t know the name). At the end she sang “Jan Gan Mangal Dhayak Jaya He” and not “Jan Gan Man Adhinayak Jaya He”.
Probably should have been sung by an Indian who knows the proper wordings.#englandvsindia
— Akshay Bhatnagar (@akkipopper) June 20, 2025
That national anthem#Cricket https://t.co/lcLuDKcNv5 pic.twitter.com/w7RueUj2xq
— Ritesh Banglani (@banglani) June 20, 2025
Who is that female singer, who’s paid to sing the Indian national anthem? It was one of the worst-ever renditions at a sporting arena, rivalling that of Amitabh Bachchan’s at the Eden Gardens in 2016 (India v Pakistan).#ENGvIND
— Vijay A (@VAAChandran) June 20, 2025
@BCCI couldn’t you get an Indian to sing the national anthem. I can’t believe that I heard the national anthem being sung with an accent
— ankit agarwal (@89agarwal) June 20, 2025
On the field, Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bowl first, a decision backed by Headingley’s history—teams batting second have won the last six Tests here. Sai Sudharsan was handed his Test debut, batting at No. 3, while Karun Nair returned to the side after eight years. Jaiswal and KL Rahul opened the innings, followed by captain Shubman Gill at No. 4. Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur formed the pace attack, with Jadeja as the sole spinner.
