ADELAIDE: Players and fans paid moving tribute to the life of Australia’s Phillip Hughes on Tuesday by doing what they said he would have wanted: going out and playing cricket.

On the first day of their four-Test series, the Australian and Indian teams, both sporting black arm bands, lined up in respect for the batsman who died after being struck by a short-pitched ball late last month.

The day began with players and fans, some wiping tears from their eyes, standing and applauding in unison at the Adelaide Oval for a symbolic 63 seconds — representing Hughes’s final unbeaten score — in an emotional tribute to the popular 25-year-old.

Hughes’ smiling face, wearing his baggy green cap, appeared everywhere, including on a moving video tribute watched intently by both sides before the game got under way.

Prominent broadcaster and former Australia captain Richie Benaud narrated the emotional clip shown on the ground’s big screen, finishing with a poignant “forever, rest in peace, son.”

Under blue skies, Hughes’ friends and colleagues said goodbye to a man whose death struck a nerve globally, triggering an outpouring of grief throughout Australia and the cricketing world.

Clarke, who was traumatised by the death of his close friend, said after winning the toss: “What I know my little buddy (Hughes) would want is going out and playing cricket.”

The Adelaide Oval crowd warmly applauded Clarke’s sentiments in recognition of the leading role he has played in the grieving process, during which he comforted Hughes’ family, delivered a tribute at his funeral and acted as a pallbearer.

Many of the 25,619 fans stopped at a makeshift memorial outside the ground, adorned with flowers and loving cards, numerous cricket bats lined up in a row.

Published in Dawn December 10th , 2014