In the ongoing South Africa vs India multi-format series, India bagged the three-match ODI series with 2-0. In the final ODI at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the women in blue are wearing black armbands in memory of former Indian fast bowler David Johnson, who passed away on Thursday.
David Johnson, a former Indian pacer, tragically passed away at the age of 52 after falling from a balcony in Bengaluru on June 20. Born on October 16, 1971, in the Arasikere region, Johnson represented India in international cricket during the mid-1990s. He made his Test debut against Australia in October 1996 and played in two Test matches. A career highlight was clocking a speed of 157.8 mph during a Test match against Australia. In domestic cricket, he took 125 wickets for Karnataka in 39 First-Class appearances, with his best match figures being 10 for 152 against Kerala in the 1995-96 Ranji Trophy season. His outstanding domestic performances earned him a place on the national team.
In the ongoing men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies, the Indian men’s team wore black armbands during their Super 8 match against Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown in Barbados on June 20 to honor Johnson. Today, the women’s team is also paying tribute at the home ground of the former pacer.
His untimely death has shocked the cricketing community. According to a Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) official, Johnson fell from the balcony of his fourth-floor apartment. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he was declared dead. Johnson is survived by his wife and two children. He had been managing a cricket academy but had not been in good health recently.
Karnataka State Cricket Association officials reported to Press Trust of India that they received information about David Johnson, a former cricketer, who fell from the fourth floor of his apartment building. Despite being quickly taken to the hospital, the doctors declared him dead upon arrival. This statement highlights the tragic and unexpected nature of Johnson’s death.
The KSCA official mentioned, “We were informed that he had fallen from the fourth floor of his apartment building. He was taken to a hospital, but the doctors declared him brought dead.”
Post the three One-Day Internationals at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, a one-off, four-day red-ball Test match, and three Twenty20 Internationals, are scheduled all at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The one-off Test match, scheduled from June 28 to July 1, features several changes from the ODI squad. The team welcomes Shubha Satheesh, Sneh Rana, Meghna Singh, and Rajeshwari Gayakwad, while Dayalan Hemalatha, Radha Yadav, Asha Sobhana, and Shreyanka Patil are not included in the Test squad.
Test squad:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Shubha Satheesh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Uma Chetry, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Saika Ishaque, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Meghna Singh, Priya Punia, Shabnam Shakil