‘We did Philip proud’
Australia rounded off an emotional two-week period as they pressured India into a batting collapse on the final session of the first Test at the Adelaide Oval.
The Aussies, still reeling from the death of team-mate Philip Hughes, put themselves in a winning position going into the final day but India looked to have weathered the storm. They were only two down at tea but spinner Nathan Lyon produced a spin-bowling masterclass as the visitors crumbled to 315 all out with less than 20 minutes of play remaining.
The Australians ran to celebrate at the ‘408’ pitch marking, which was placed their in honour of Hughes, as soon as Lyon claimed the winning wicket. Hughes was the country’s 408th Test-capped player.
As the evening wore on, the players returned to ‘408’ where they sang their team song, Under the Southern Cross, and toasted their fallen colleague with a few VBs (Victoria Bitter beers).
Amid the celebrations, Australia captain Michael Clarke admitted he may never play for his country again due to ongoing back injury issues. He told Cricinfo, ‘There’s a chance I may never play again. I hope that’s not the case and I’ll be doing everything in my power to get back out on the park but I have to be realistic as well.’
