Why are India & Australia Wearing Black Armbands in Women's WC Semifinal?

Both the India and Australia women’s cricket teams wore black armbands during the second semi-final match at the DY Patil Sports Academy. The IND vs AUS black armbands became a topic of curiosity for fans all over the internet. The game started under overcast conditions with some amount of movement available for the seamers.

Australia won the toss and decided to bat first in the big game. Players from both teams walked out to the field wearing those armbands, which caught everyone's eye. However, there was a specific reason behind the Indian and Australian women players wearing black armbands, which was revealed by the TV commentator Ian Bishop.

Why are India and Australia Wearing Black Armbands in Women's World Cup Semifinal?

The India and Australia teams are wearing black armbands as a mark of respect for 17-year-old Australian cricketer Ben Austin. Tragically, Austin passed away after being struck on the neck by a cricket ball while batting in the nets at Wally Tew Reserve in Ferntree Gully, Melbourne. Despite wearing a helmet, the impact was really fatal, and this incident has created a shockwave through the cricket community across Australia and around the world.

Ben Austin was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after his accident at Ferntree Gully in Melbourne’s outer east. The 17-year-old was practising in the nets ahead of a T20 match when he was struck by a ball delivered using a sidearm thrower, also known as a “wanger.” Although he was wearing a helmet at the time, it did not have a stem guard for neck protection. Austin was placed on life support at Monash Children’s Hospital, but despite the doctors’ best efforts, he sadly passed away on Thursday morning.

By wearing black armbands, both teams paid tribute to the young cricketer and showing that they stand with his family, friends, and the wider cricketing community at this extremely tragic time. This not the first time of any instance with black armbands in cricket. During many unfortunate incidents, the cricket player have taken a positive step to show their solidarity towards the victims.

Aussie Skipper Falls Early During IND vs AUS Women World Cup Semifinal

In the second semi-final of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 between India and Australia at Navi Mumbai, the match took an early twist when Australian captain Alyssa Healy was dismissed for just five runs in the sixth over by Kranti Goud. It was a huge wicket as Healy is one of the best women cricketers in the world and has been in scintillating form this tournament.

Healy’s early exit could have put Australia under pressure after a cautious start. Even after the early wicket, Phoebe Litchfield showed great intent at the other end, and just as India were beginning to build momentum with disciplined bowling from Renuka Singh Thakur and Kranti Goud, rain interrupted play and created a halt in proceedings.

The rain interruption resulted in a momentum shift as both Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse Perry made things tough for the Indian bowlers. Both of them showed why Australia is the best women's cricket team in the world. Kranti Goud took the wicket of the Aussie skipper, but she leaked runs at about 10 runs per over. The Indian bowlers need to come up with a plan soon; otherwise, as things stand, the mighty Aussies would take the game away in the middle overs.