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The second Test between India and England was set for Day 2 action at Lord's on Friday. With the contest interestingly poised, it was going to be an exciting day ahead for all the fans across the globe. However, there was also a sense of curiosity among everyone as the home side stepped on the field wearing jerseys with their names and logo in red, instead of the usual blue.
There were a lot of fans inside the stadium who were also seen wearing red hats and jerseys and it was a very similar case with the commentators. Notably, it's an important day for everyone at Lord's today as it was the Ruth Strauss Foundation Day and the second day of second Test had been decided as annual #RedforRuth day.
Ahead of the start of Day 2, the players from both the sides came out wearing red caps and stood in a heart-shaped formation to show their love and support for the special and noble cause.
What is Ruth Strauss Foundation?
The Ruth Strauss Foundation has been set up by England's former captain Sir Andrew Strauss in memory of his late wife, Ruth - who died due to non-smoking lung cancer in December 2018 at the age of 46. As per stats, more than 23,600 parents with dependent children die each year in the United Kingdom. The aim of the charity is to provide professional and emotional support to the children who face the death of a parent to prepare them for the future.
"This year’s #RedforRuth campaign will raise awareness of our new Family Support Service – a vital service that provides much-needed pre-bereavement support for families with dependent children, where a parent is told they don’t have much longer to live, helping families prepare for grief, death and dying," the foundation confirmed in an official statement.
Sir Andrew Strauss reveals the reason behind starting the foundation
Reflecting on the reason behind starting the foundation, Sir Andrew Strauss says, “Ruth was determined to - in her own words - "do death well”. She knew we needed support to help us understand and navigate the best way to break this life-changing news to the boys."
"By being transparent and open about what was happening to Ruth, we enabled the boys to feel comfortable to share their worries, questions, grief and fears for the future. As a result, they could continue living their busy lives, feeling confident that they knew what was going on, and in some way knowing that they would be OK after Ruth’s death," added Strauss. Notably, their children were just 10 and 13 years old when Ruth died.