REVEALED ! Why Mohammed Siraj Wore Special White Headband During ENG vs IND 5th Test

During his successful outing with the ball, Mohammed Siraj was seen wearing a white headband during the final session of the second day of the fifth Test against England at The Oval in London.

India pacer Mohammed Siraj wore a special white headband on the second day of the fifth Test against England at The Oval in London. The special headband worn by Siraj was a tribute from his side to late Graham Thorpe, who was regarded as one of the best English players of his generation.

Thorpe, who played 182 matches for England (100 Tests, 82 ODIs) - took his own life on August 4 last year after a long struggle with anxiety and depression. August 1, which was day two of the fifth Test against India would have been his 56th birthday, and with the match taking place at his home ground, Surrey chose to designate Friday as 'Day for Thorpey'.

Apart from Siraj, England players and supporters were also seen donning white headbands, which bore a silhouette of Thorpe and his initials. Thorpe famously wore a headband while batting during his glittering career.

Between 1993 and 2005, Thorpe played 100 Test matches and 82 One-Day Internationals for England  He scored 6,744 Test runs at an average of 44.66 and amassed 2,380 ODI runs.

Meanwhile, the limited-edition headbands were also sold to raise money for mental health charity Mind.

Before the start of the Oval Test match, England Ben Stokes had said that Thorpey has been a very influential character.

"Thorpey has been a very influential character as a player and a coach in English cricket. A few of us in that dressing room spent a lot of time with him coming through the ranks," said Stokes, who had close relationships with Thorpe during his coaching career.

"It's going to be a special day for all English fans, a special day for his family to see how much he meant to English cricket, and how much he means to the current England dressing room. Obviously it will be an emotional day for a lot of people, but also a day when one of the greats of the game can be appreciated," he added.