Fans tuning in to the India vs Australia 2nd T20I at the MCG today noticed both teams sporting black armbands — a mark of respect for Ben Austin, a 17-year-old cricketer from Melbourne who tragically passed away earlier this week following a training accident.
The young batter suffered a fatal neck injury during a net session at Wally Tew Reserve on Tuesday night. Despite immediate medical attention and being rushed to Monash Children’s Hospital, he could not be saved. Austin was wearing a helmet but not a stem guard — drawing painful parallels with the incident that claimed Australian cricketer Phil Hughes’ life in 2014.
Before the start of play, India and Australia observed a solemn minute of silence on the field, with a cap placed on a podium as a tribute to the promising teenager. Players lined up in remembrance, offering support to the grieving cricket community.
Austin’s family, teammates, and the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club — where he had played since childhood — have been receiving condolences from across Australian and global cricket circles. “The cricket community is heartbroken,” Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird said in a statement.
The black armbands today symbolise solidarity, mourning, and respect — a heartfelt gesture from both teams as the sport comes together to honour a young life gone too soon.
