The India vs West Indies second Test is underway at the iconic Arun Jaitely Stadium in New Delhi, and the West Indies players are donning black armbands to pay tribute to a former cricketer who passed away this week.
After their humiliating defeat in the first Test at Ahmedabad, where the Indians clinched a dominating win by 140 runs and an innings, the West Indies will be hoping to show some resistance in the second Test. They have included some new names in the team and have revamped their playing XI.
Why are West Indies cricketers wearing Black armbands?
As the second match begins at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, India, skipper Shubman Gill, having won the toss, opted to bat first. This is his first toss win as the skipper of the Indian Test side.
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Former Indian spinner Anil Kumble rang the bell, and the play was about to begin. The two field umpires, Paul Reiffel and Richard Illingworth, walked out to the middle, and they were followed by the fielding side.
As the West Indies players walked out, they were spotted donning black armbands, which threw all into a moment of doubt. The armbands were revealed to be a tribute to former West Indian cricketer Bernard Julian, who died this week.
The West Indies players are wearing black armbands on day 1 as a tribute to former player Bernard Julien who passed away last week.
Julien was a member of the 1975 World Cup winning team. #INDvWI | #MenInMaroon pic.twitter.com/XCTQh8TuIR
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) October 10, 2025
Who was Bernard Julien? Know More
Bernard Denis Julien was a former West Indian cricketer born in 1950 on the Trinidad and Tobago islands. He played as an all-rounder as a right-handed batter and bowled left-arm pace and spin.
Throughout his career, having made his debut for the West Indies in 1973, he went on to feature in 24 Tests and 12 One-Day internationals. His ODI debut also came in the same year against England. His last played Tests as well as ODI were against Pakistan in 1977.
He boasts the record of 5790 runs in ODI cricket and picked 483 wickets throughout his career, though his international career has been below par. In 24 matches, he amassed just 866 runs with an average of 30.92
