Players, crowd give 63-second tribute to Hughes

Adelaide, Dec 9 (IANS) A rousing 63-second standing ovation marked the start of the first Test at the Adelaide Oval here between India and Australia as a tribute to Phillip Hughes, who died Nov 27 after being hit by a bouncer during a domestic match.

Both teams wore black armbands in memory of the 25-year-old Hughes, who was batting on an individual score of 63 when a Sean Abbot bouncer hit him on the neck at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) Nov 25 and two days later, he died.

The Adelaide Oval crowd stood in silence as Richie Benaud gave a stirring video tribute to Hughes on the big screen. The crowd then erupted into applause for 63 seconds.

Earlier, Australian skipper Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bat. He admitted at the toss that his great mate Hughes was still on his mind, but for now, “what is most important and what I know my little buddy would want, is going out and playing cricket”.

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Photo - Cricket Australia Twitter Account