Phillip Hughes was given a fitting farewell at the Adelaide Oval here on Tuesday.
The giant screen showed Aussie cricket great Richie Benaud reading his tribute before the commencement of the day’s play.
“A boy, just beginning... 25 years of age... baggy green number 408,” Benaud said. “His father’s best mate... son, brother, fighter, friend... inspiration.”
“Phillip Hughes, forever. Rest in peace, son.”
The crowd, about 20,000 strong, and the cricketers could hardly hold back their emotions.
Australia captain Michael Clarke was seen shedding tears. The two teams were together in a 63-second tribute — the score at which Hughes was struck by that catastrophic blow — for the departed hero. The Australian national anthem was played.
A slideshow on Hughes’s career had the spectators cheering. The Australian cricketers, wearing black arm bands, had Hughes’s baggy green cap No. 408 inscribed on their shirts.
It was also a day when the crowd acknowledged cricket’s spirit. When a bouncer was sent down, it roared in appreciation.
