IND vs SL: Both teams observe minute's silence before start of play for Shane Warne and Rodney Marsh

India and Sri Lanka who are currently in the middle of playing the first Test match at Mohali, took the field on Day 2 wearing black armbands in remembrance of the late Australian cricketer, Shane Warne, who passed away on March 4th aged 52. Warne reportedly died of a suspected heart attack. The legendary cricketer was at his villa in Thailand at the time of his untimely death.

Both teams also observed a minute of silence in the memory of Warne and Rodney Marsh before the start of the day’s play. Notably, Marsh, another former Australian cricketer, passed way less than 24 hours before Warne.

Warne was lauded by many past and former cricketers for his many accomplishments. Amongst the many games of cricket that he won single-handedly, the spinner was instrumental in Australia’s successful campaign at the 1999 World Cup. Warne was the player of the match in both the semi-final and final of the tournament.

“A minute’s silence was observed before the start of play on Day 2 of the first Test for Rodney Marsh and Shane Warne who passed away yesterday. The Indian Cricket Team will also be wearing black armbands today,” an official BCCI statement read.

Australian Cricket in sorrow with the passing of two of their greatest icons

Both Marsh and Warne hold a high stature in Australian cricket as well as in the cricketing fraternity globally. While Marsh is regarded as of the best wicket-keeper batters to have played for Australia, the leg-spinner, Warne, is often regarded as one of the greatest cricketers to have played the game.

Warne is placed second on the list of highest wicket-takers in Test cricket with 708 wickets to his name. He is only behind Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who had picked up 800 wickets. He was also one of the rare cricketers to have been named as one of its Five Cricketers of the Twentieth Century by the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanac, while the cricketer was still in his playing career.