288 people lost their lives and over 1100 people were injured in the tragic train accident in Odisha.
India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl first, with R Ashwin making way for Shardul Thakur as India went with four pacers and one spinner in Ravindra Jadeja. Australia opted to go with Scott Boland over Michael Neser in their bowling lineup.
Both the teams are wearing black armbands in remembrance of the victims of the Odisha train accident. The two teams also observed a minute’s silence before the start of play as they paid their homage.
“The Indian Cricket Team will observe a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the Odisha train tragedy ahead of the start of play on Day 1 of the ICC World Test Championship final at The Oval.
The team mourns the deaths and offers its deepest condolences to the families and friends of all those who tragically lost their lives. To express solidarity with those affected, Team India will wear black armbands,” the BCCI said in a statement released.
The accident happened on June 9, 2023, when three trains collided in the Balasore district in Odisha including the passenger train, Coromandel Express, which collided with a goods train while entering the loop.
As per reports, 288 people lost their lives and more than 1100 were injured.