An emotional day

By Panther_Like
January 7 2015

Panther like captures the mood of an emotional first day of the Sydney Test with tributes to Philip Hughes among other events. A strong Middlesex connection today.

 Opportunity arose and I decided it a good idea to get along to the opening day at the SCG. Had my brother up from Victoria as well, so all was right for a day of test cricket. Despite this being the first day of a dead rubber, there was to be much to contemplate on during this poignant day of cricket.  This was to be the first time back at the ground since the tragic events of late November that saw our little mate Phillip Hughes taken from us.

A day for tributes and reflection began with the unveiling of a plaque dedicated to Phillip's memory on the outside of the home dressing room.  Part of the official duties apart from the anthems etc was to acknowledge the presence of Phillip's parents who had travelled down from Macksville The players lined up at the start led the clapping in remembrance of their mate. Haddin was miked up to Channel 9 and was expressing the significance of the day on behalf of the team. Warner standing behind him was clearly misty-eyed.

Appropriately Australia had won the toss and had decided to bat in what looked to be a belter. Interestingly pitch 6 had been selected (first time since 2006) rather than pitch 4 and 5 meaning that the pitch in use was the adjacent pitch to that in use on that fateful day in November Also, the grass on the spot Phillip fell has since refused to seed meaning that a yellow patch of turf rested beside the popping crease at the Trumper Stand end. Off the three players who were to bat; Warner, Smth and Watson, Warner is the only left handed and would have that spot of yellow grass in the corner of his eye whilst batting.

The yellow patch at the bottom next to the pitch (bottom of pitch).

Interestingly Kohli first threw the ball to Kumar (back from injury) instead of Shami and the kid quickly found that he wasn't going to be gifted the conditions for early swing that he enjoyed in England.

Warner who hadn't scored a test hundred at the ground was streaky at the start, the emotion of the day clearly affecting his start. Rogers in the other hand was in crisp condition on a pitch offering the bowlers very little. The Aussies openers had 50 on the board before the tenth over and were clearly motivated for big things.

The two of them matched each other's scoring rate throughout the first hour (meaning Rogers had most of the strike!) and things were looking ominous for India. Kohli's attacking mindset in Adelaide quickly gave way to a more Dhoni-like abstractness as he struggled to get his fields and his bowlers line to, well align.

Warner reached 62 at a clip and then paused as he sought a meaningful single. Boundary bound half volleys were ignored and Kohli sensing some consternation brought the field in. But Warner was not to be denied and eventually found a way to find fine leg and move his tally to that very significant 63.

As fate would have it, he ran to the end Hughes had fallen and bent down and kissed the ground upon which his little mate had fallen. I must say typing that affected me more than watching the event take place. He then looked skywards amidst generous crowd applause, on their feet appreciating and more importantly fully understanding the gesture.

Chris Rogers acknowledging his 50

Rogers went on to get his fifty just before lunch and the Aussies were 0/122 at the main break.

After lunch Warner maintained his momentum and brought up that all important ton. It was another ton for the ages, a bat raised skywards indicating that he had achieved a feat for a friend. The opening stand of 200, Rogers' and Warner's first century stand was then brought to an unlikely and abrupt end when Warner found Vijay off the bowling Ashwin. Ravi had easily been the pick of the bowlers and it's hard to understand why the selectors keep leaving him out of the side.

Ashwin clearly had Rogers worried. Kohli had cleverly brought on Ashwin after the drinks break in the opening session and had been causing Rogers a few problems. Whether this was on his mind, whether it was the thought of that ton in what will likely be his last test in Australia who knows, but Rogers fell agonisingly short of the three figures, playing on to a straight Shami delivery for 95.  Shami had kept at it and finally had his man. Rogers had offered an earlier chance, easy one to second slip in the first hour off Shami's bowling.

I won't bore the readers too much further, suffice to say that Watson and Smith then made their way through to stumps, the Australians in the strong position of 348/2 at stumps and clearly aiming for a by score whilst the pitch holds up. Watson was dropped on 60 on the second last ball of the day to end a below par by India in the field.  Smith will start day 2 on 80, now 83 as I type this sentence and will look to convert his great start to yet another big hundred in what has been a Golden summer to remember. A hundred in each test of the series and hundreds in his first three as captain (the first time ever).   He also stopped in on 63 but was more subdued in reacting to reaching the mark.

Smith is now 96 as I sit here in the Churchill Stand and I would not be surprised if he and Watson join Warner as centurions-in-honour to their little mate in his highly emotional test match.  Might have to save what happens for another report!

A fiiting tribute