Cricket paused for a moment of reflection at Lord’s as players from Australia and South Africa came together to pay tribute to the victims of the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash. Before the start of Day 3 of the World Test Championship final, both teams observed a minute of silence and wore black armbands as a sign of respect.

The devastating incident occurred when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The flight was headed to London but tragically came down in the Meghani area of Ahmedabad, claiming the lives of all 265 people on board, including passengers, pilots, and cabin crew.

During the tribute, it was revealed that the aircraft was piloted by Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder, with the latter having logged 1,100 flying hours, below the usual 1,500 hours required for command eligibility. The heavy fuel load for the long journey exacerbated the intensity of the ensuing blaze.

On the field, the World Test Championship final continued with Australia holding a 218-run lead after Day 2. Pat Cummins starred with a career-best 6/28 as South Africa were dismissed for 138. In response, South Africa's bowlers fought back, leaving Australia at 144-8 by the end of the day. A crucial partnership between Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc helped stabilize Australia's innings, but the match remains finely balanced with South Africa aiming for a historic ICC trophy.