WTC Final 2023: Teams observe minute's silence, India wear black armbands for Odisha train accident victims

India and Australia cricket teams observed a minute’s silence before their World Test Championship final at The Oval on Wednesday. The players paid their respects to the 288 people who died when three trains crashed into each other in Odisha. Additionally, Indian cricket team are wearing black armbands to pay their respects.

“The team mourns the deaths and offers its deepest condolences to the families and friends of all those who tragically lost their lives,” the BCCI said in a statement.

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The crash took place in the Balasore district in Odisha. It saw Coromandel Express crash into a goods train and subsequently three of its coaches collided with an oncoming Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express on the adjacent track. Officially, 288 people have died and 900-plus have been injured in the worst train accident in the country in over two decades.

In the marquee clash at The Oval, India skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl against Australia with the World Test Championship Mace up for grabs. India are eyeing their first piece of ICC silverware since 2013.

In team news, India went without Ravichandran Ashwin and Ishan Kishan with four seamers being deployed and KS Bharat getting the nod as wicketkeeper. Ajinkya Rahane also made a return to the Test fold after a lean pitch saw him dropped two years ago.

“We are going to bowl. Just the conditions and also the weather being overcast. I don’t think the pitch will change too much. You have to play good cricket and come out on top. Four seamers and one spinner. The spinner is (Ravindra) Jadeja,” said Rohit at the toss.

“It’s always tough (to leave Ashwin), he’s been a match-winner for us over the course of so many years. But you got to do the things that’s needed for the team and eventually we came up with that decision.”

“He (Rahane) brings a lot of experience, he’s played 80-odd Test matches and he’s done well for the team. He’s been out for a while but but I don’t think the experience that he has can change all of that,” added the India captain.

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