NEW DELHI: West Indies players wore black armbands on the opening day of the second and final Test against India to pay tribute to their former all-rounder Bernard Julien, who passed away on October 4 at the age of 75 on October 4.

"West Indies players are wearing black armbands on day one of the second Test against India as a tribute to former player Bernard Julien who passed away last week. All-rounder Julien was a member of the 1975 World Cup-winning team," said Cricket West Indies (CWI) in an official statement.

A key figure in West Indies cricket during the 1970s, Bernard Julien played 24 Tests, amassing 866 runs and taking 50 wickets. He also featured in 12 ODIs, claiming 18 wickets and scoring 86 runs. Julien was part of the historic West Indies squad that won the inaugural Men’s ODI World Cup in 1975 under Clive Lloyd’s captaincy.

In that tournament, Julien delivered several standout performances, including 4 for 20 against Sri Lanka and 4 for 27 in the semi-final against New Zealand. In the final at Lord’s, he contributed a crucial 26 off 37 balls as the West Indies defeated Australia to lift their first World Cup.

Julien also enjoyed a successful stint with English county side Kent between 1970 and 1977, claiming 336 wickets and scoring 3,296 runs in 179 matches. His international career came to an end after he joined the rebel West Indies tour to apartheid-era South Africa in 1982-83.