The second day of the fifth Test between England and India at The Oval was a very emotional moment, as the cricket family came together to celebrate Graham Thorpe on what would have been his 56th birthday. The day, called 'A Day for Thorpey', was in honour of the former England and Surrey batter, but also in support of the mental health charity Mind.

Thorpe died by suicide on August 4 last year, after suffering from depression and anxiety for many years. He played 100 Tests for England, scoring 6,744 runs, at an average of 44.66, in a career that was noted for his elegant strokeplay and middle-order solidity. He later took on coaching roles with Surrey, England, and eventually Afghanistan. After losing his England coaching role in the 2021–22 Ashes, Thorpe's mental health deteriorated rapidly.

Tributes, Headbands and Hope: Honouring Graham Thorpe at The Oval

Fans, players, and former teammates paid tribute at The Oval. Spectators wore specially designed headbands – a nod to Thorpe’s playing days – sold for £5 to raise money for Mind. Proceeds will go towards a new initiative named ‘Thorpey’s Bat and Chat’, which will combine cricket with mental health support across the UK.

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The tributes by his wife, Amanda, and daughters, Kitty and Emma, who courageously shared their pain with the hope of dispelling the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide, revealed their desire "to honor and celebrate him and his memory, his light was so very bright," told the BBC.

Kitty disclosed that Thorpe's condition worsened with time, explaining: "He got worse and worse, until he couldn't even get out of bed. What was a mental illness got worse, until it became a physical illness." Now, there is a mural at The Oval commemorating a cricketer who gave so much to English cricket. Joe Root also dedicated his 33rd Test century to his former mentor and explained how Thorpe impacted him as a person and player.

Graham Thorpe is no longer with us, but he will live on not just in English cricket but through an increasing movement to support mental health and encourage difficult but vital conversations.

The second day of the fifth Test between England and India at the Kennington Oval was a exciting day for both the sides to get themselves ahead during the decider. The home side came with a lead of 2-1 margin as the home side had the chance to walk off with a 2-2 series result. But above all of these, the second day was more important to English cricket for various reasons.

Their cricketers donned white headbands in the memory of the late Graham Thorpe on August 01, who would have been 56 today. One of the most respected and mentally strongest player of his generation, Thorpe, lost the battle last August and took his life after losing the fight with anxiety and depression.

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Graham was England’s assistant coach as recently as 2021. With the match taking place at his home ground, the Surrey Cricket Club decided to designate the day ‘as day for Thorpey.’ Headbands, similar to those the southpaw used to wear during his playing career was worn by all the home players, featuring Thorpe’s initials and likeness. They were on sale for five pounds to raise funds for the Mind healthy charity.

England players wear headbands on Day 2 of ENG vs IND 5^th Test at Kennington Oval

The 55-year-old, who featured in 100 Tests, smashed 6744 runs at an average of 44.66 and a strike rate of 45.89 with the help of 16 centuries and 39 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 200 runs. In 82 ODI games, the left-handed batter cracked 2380 runs at 37.18 and a strike rate of 71.17 with 21 fifties.

‘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. 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.’ Ben Stokes, the England Test captain, who is out of the contest, expressed.

England made a fine start to the second day, sending back for overnight batters, Washington Sundar and Karun Nair, before finding India on 224/9 as Mohammed Siraj got out for a four-ball duck. They added zero run to that to get bundled out for 224.