Australia and South Africa wore black armbands and observed a minute’s silence to honour the victims of the tragic crash of the Air India flight bound for London from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday, June 12, to kick off the third day of the World Test Championship Final (WTC 2025) at the storied Lord’s.
Just 33 seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people—230 passengers and 12 crew members—crash. One of the deadliest aviation tragedies in recent history occurred when the plane crashed into the BJ Medical College dorm. In addition to those on board, the collision also claimed the lives of medical college employees and students, bringing the official death toll to at least 260.
On Day 3 of the final, the players entered the pitch, remained motionless, took off their hats and helmets and donned their black armbands to join the fans in a minute of silence in remembrance of the victims.
A British national of Indian descent named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh amazingly escaped and has since talked about his terrifying ordeal. Cricket players, political figures, and people from all around the world have paid their respects to the occurrence, which has caused international anguish. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi toured the location and reviewed it. While investigations are ongoing, the Indian government is currently thinking about halting the Boeing 787-8 fleet.
The WTC 2025 Final’s third day is finely poised.
Australia entered the match following captain Pat Cummins’ 6/28 stint, which reduced South Africa to 138 in the first innings and gave the reigning champions a 74-run lead.
On Day 2, though, the Proteas recovered well when Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi combined to cause mayhem, bringing them down to 144/8 by stumps. On Day 3, the team got off to a strong start by eliminating Nathan Lyon early, leaving Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood as the final two players.