WTC Final: Team India players wear black armbands in memory of 'Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh

After rain played spoilsport on Day 1 of the ongoing WTC final between India and New Zealand at Ageas Rose Bowl in Southampton, the focus was on the second day as the weather conditions looked promising as well. However, it was Team India's gesture that stood out the most before the game got underway.

WTC Final: Team India pay a touching tribute to Milkha Singh

Team India wore black armbands as they took the field on Saturday to pay tribute to the legendary sprinter and athlete Milkha Singh who passed away on Friday after a month-long battle with COVID-19. The image was posted by the national cricket team on its official Instagram account.

The four-time Asian Games gold medallist breathed his last at 11.30 PM on Friday. After the month-long battle to COVID-19, during which he lost his former national volleyball captain wife Nirmal Kaur to COVID-19, succumbed to death. Milkha Singh was 91 years old. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the PGIMER hospital on June 3 after his oxygen levels dipped at home following treatment at the Fortis hospital in Mohali for a week. Officials at PGIMER hospital informed that Milkha Singh's condition turned critical Friday evening as he developed complications, including fever and dipping oxygen saturation levels.
Coming back to the WTC Final, the coin landed in New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson's favour and he invited Kohli & Co. to bat first.  Indian skipper Virat Kohli's discipline on a moving track has kept his team's momentum intact. 

Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill had seen off the new ball well and added 62 runs for the opening stand before the duo was dismissed. Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara then tried to rebuild the Indian innings before the latter's dismissal post-lunch. 

Nonetheless, Kohli and his Test deputy Ajinkya Rahane ensured that there were no further hiccups as they took to score to 146/3 in the 65th over before bad light resulted in an early stoppage of play. Ajinkya Rahane remained unbeaten on 29 off 79 deliveries whereas, Virat Kohli is eyeing his 26th Test half-century as he was also unbeaten on 44 off 124 deliveries.