Aussie opener breakes down after reaching 10th Test Ton
Adelaide: Australia’s David Warner paid a fitting tribute to his deceased teammate Phillip Hughes by cracking a rollicking 145 before India clawed back with three quick blows to share the honours on an emotionally charged opening day of the first cricket Test here on Tuesday.
Opting to bat first, Australia rode on Warner’s 10th Test century and were cruising along comfortably before India struck three vital blows at the fag end of the day to reduce the hosts to 354 for six at the Adelaide Oval.
The home team was comfortably placed at 258 for two when Warner became debutant spinner Karn Sharma’s maiden victim, which triggered a collapse of sorts with Mitchell Marsh (41), night-watchman Nathan Lyon (3) and Brad Haddin (0) falling in quick succession to help India stage a fightback.
Steven Smith was unbeaten on 72 when stumps were drawn for the day with four balls still to be bowled.
Earlier, the stadium witnessed a gamut of emotions before the commencement of the match as spectators clapped for exactly 63 seconds as a mark of respect for Hughes. Both teams wore black arm bands while the Australians had Hughes’ Test cap No 408 inscribed on their jerseys.
But nothing was more poignant than Warner, who was at his attacking best, but at the same time was finding it difficult to keep his emotions under check.
When he reached a personal score of 63, he raised his bat and looked heavenward as a tribute to his mate.
On reaching his century, Warner again broke down and skipper Michael Clarke, batting at the other end, came over and gave him a hug.
Australia had a cause for concern as Clarke retired hurt on 60 due to a recurring back spasms, after having added 118 runs for the third wicket with Warner. Clarke faced 84 balls hitting nine fours in the process.
Warner was finally out after facing 163 balls and striking 19 boundaries. He holed out in the deep mid-wicket region where Ishant Sharma took a catch off Karn’s bowling.
Opening batsman David Warner celebrated cricket’s resumption in Australia nearly two weeks after Phillip Hughes’s death by compiling a glorious, emotion-tinged century after lunch on the opening day of the first test against India on Tuesday.
The pugnacious 28-year-old tore into India’s hapless paceman from his first delivery, crunching 14 boundaries at a sun-baked Adelaide Oval after the match began on a solemn note following tributes to batsman Hughes.
Warner drove a single off legspinner Karn Sharma to bring up his 100 from 106 deliveries, and after tearing off his helmet and kissing the crest, he leaped for joy, raising his hands and head to the sky in a poignant tribute to his fallen team mate.
He and Australia captain Michael Clarke embraced long and hard in the centre of the ground as the crowd roared their approval in a standing ovation.
The crowd rose to their feet a few minutes after the drinks break as Clarke reached his 50, celebrating the milestone with a more subdued wave of the bat at the crowd.
Warner had earlier bolted out onto the pristine field before the start of play and blasted an imperious cover drive for four off the first delivery he faced from paceman Varun Aaron.
That was one of seven boundaries he struck in the first four overs as he hogged the strike and left his opening partner Chris Rogers watching in admiration.
Hughes died in hospital two days after being struck by a short ball in a domestic match when batting, prompting a debate over the use of bouncers in cricket.
It was not until the first ball of the fourth over that Aaron banged one in, a textbook delivery that prompted applause from the crowd of under 20,000 and which Warner did well to avoid.
“Have stayed up to watch the first session from Oz. Glad the first bouncer was applauded,” former England spinner Graeme Swann posted on Twitter.
Warner responded by slashing at the next delivery, a miscued shot that bounced just clear of chasing fielders and dribbled to the rope for four.
He raised his 50 with a pull to the fence, glancing at the sky as he raised his bat, and did so again when he reached 63, the score Hughes was on when he was struck down in a Sheffield Shield match in Sydney. (PTI)