3rd Test: Indian players pay tribute to former Captain Gaekwad with black armbands

At the time of his passing, Gaekwad, the former India Test captain and the nation's oldest living Test cricketer, died at the age of 95.

Rajkot: The Indian players taking the field against England in the ongoing Third Test are sporting black armbands as a mark of respect for Dattajirao Gaekwad, former India captain and oldest Test cricketer who passed away on Tuesday.

Gaekwad, who was the former India Test captain and the country’s oldest living Test cricketer at the time of his passing died at the age of 95. He played in 11 Tests and led the team during India’s tour of England in 1959. Under his captaincy, Baroda also won the Ranji Trophy in the 1957-58 season, beating Services in the final.

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#TeamIndia will be wearing black arm bands in memory of Dattajirao Gaekwad, former India captain and India’s oldest Test cricketer who passed away recently.#INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 17, 2024

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday took to X and announced that Team India will be wearing black armbands in memory of Dattajirao Gaekwad, former India captain and India’s oldest Test cricketer who passed away recently.

Meanwhile, India will head into the third day of the Test against England in Rajkot without star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who withdrew from the ongoing third Test against England with immediate effect due to a family medical emergency.

On Day 2, Ashwin took Zak Crawley’s wicket to reach 500 wickets in Tests. He became the ninth Test bowler in history to surpass 500 wickets, and the only Indian bowler to do so after Anil Kumble.

Day 2 concluded with England swiftly advancing to 207/2 at an almost run-a-ball rate, narrowing the gap to just 238 runs behind India’s first-innings total.