IND vs AUS 2025: Here’s why Indian and Australian players are wearing black armbands during Women’s World Cup 2025 semifinal

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The World Cup 2025 semi-final clash between India Women and Australia Women at the DY Patil Stadium was marked by a poignant gesture, as players from both teams took the field wearing black armbands. This act of unity was a shared tribute to the tragic passing of a young member of the cricketing community, bringing a solemn atmosphere to the high-stakes match.

The players from both the Indian and Australian women’s teams were spotted wearing black armbands during the World Cup semi-final on Thursday to mourn the tragic demise of Ben Austin. Austin, a 17-year-old Australian cricketer from Melbourne, tragically passed away after suffering a fatal injury during a training session.

The incident occurred on Tuesday while the promising cricketer was facing “one of the pacy throw downs” in the nets, with the ball striking him “right on his neck.” Austin was reportedly wearing a helmet but was without the protective gear around the neck at the moment of impact. He was immediately rushed to the hospital in critical condition and placed on life support but, unfortunately, didn’t survive, passing away on Wednesday. The Ferntree Gully Cricket Club paid tribute to their young star, saying: “We are absolutely devastated by the passing of Ben, and the impacts of his death will be felt by all in our cricket community.” This collective gesture served as a solemn mark of respect for the departed soul of the emerging bowler and batter, whom his club remembered as a “star cricketer, great leader and an awesome young man.

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The 2nd semi-final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 between Australia and India promises to be a high-octane contest at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. Australia, with a commanding performance throughout the group stages, have entered this knockout match as the favourites, having won 6 of their 7 matches, showcasing their strength in all departments. Their key players, including Alyssa Healy, Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse Perry, have been in sublime form and are looking to lead their side to another World Cup final.

On the other hand, India has had an inconsistent campaign, finishing 4th in the group stages, but their strong squad, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, with players like Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, are ready to rise to the occasion. India will need to step up their batting and bowling, with Renuka Singh and Kranti Gaud spearheading the attack. The clash between Australia’s power and India’s resilience is set to captivate cricket fans globally as both teams battle for a place in the grand final.

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.