Ind vs WI, 2nd ODI: West Indies players spotted wearing black armbands; here's why

Visakhapatnam is hosting the 2nd ODI of the 3-match series between India and West Indies on Wednesday. The Windies are up 1-0 in the series after winning the first match in Chennai courtesy Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope making vital hundreds for the team. Ahead of the start of the 2nd ODI, the West Indies players were noticed wearing black armbands and here is why:

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West Indies' yesteryear star Basil Butcher passes away

A prolific scorer with the bat and one of the pioneers of the game in the West Indies, Butcher was a vital part of the squad that also sported names such as Sir Garfield Sobers and Clive Lloyd. Butcher also has his name imprinted on the wall of the 'Home of cricket' as he is one of the few batsmen who have scored a Test hundred at Lord's. Butcher has 3104 runs in just 78 Test innings along with a high score of 209* to go along with it. Butcher passed away on Tuesday and Cricket West Indies (CWI) released a statement to declare the same. They also conveyed their condolences to the family of the legendary batsman. 

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Will India level the series?

After having lost the first one, this match is a crucial one for India. They need to win this at all costs to keep their series hopes alive. At the time of writing this report, luck favoured Kieron Pollard, who won the toss and immediately chose to bowl first. The Indian team left out Shivam Dube out of the playing XI and opted for his Mumbai teammate and fast bowler Shardul Thakur instead. Thakur has come in as a replacement for the injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The Indian team has gotten a solid start, courtesy of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. The two have currently stitched a partnership worth 82 runs for the first wicket.

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