(Reuters) – Australia captain Michael Clarke made a surprise return from a back injury and teamed up with Steven Smith to carry the hosts to 405 for six wickets before rain brought an early lunch on day two of the first test in Adelaide last night.
Clarke left the field on 60 after straining his lower back during the first day’s play, but after receiving injections and treatment he marched out to the Adelaide Oval crease with Smith after a short rain delay.
The pair resumed with the score 354-6 and Clarke had moved to 85 with Smith on 98 when rain caused another delay late in the session.
India had captured a flurry of late wickets in the final session on Tuesday to give them some hope of limiting the hosts, but their bowlers were unable to reap any benefit from the overcast conditions.
India captain Virat Kohli had lost the all-important toss and Clarke gladly sent his team into bat on a day of tributes for Phillip Hughes, who died tragically after being hit by a ball two weeks ago.
Though Clarke bravely returned to carry on his innings last night, he is far from being out of the woods as far as his injury is concerned, the team’s physio Alex Kontouris said.
Describing it as “quite a significant back injury”, Kontouris said Clarke had last sustained a similar back strain 18 month ago when he was at the Champions Trophy tournament in England.
Clarke, who has battled a back condition throughout his career, had only just returned to the side from a third hamstring strain in three months, and his new fitness worry will cast doubt on his ability to lead the team going forward.
On day one, David Warner paid moving tribute to Phillip Hughes in compiling a brilliant century.
Warner’s sparkling 145 from 163 balls had the hosts off to a flying start at a sun-drenched Adelaide Oval, and though India captured a flurry of late wickets, Smith added an unbeaten 72 after tea to push Australia to 354-6 at stumps.
A day that began solemnly with a slew of tributes to Hughes ended with grave concerns over the fitness of Clarke, who retired hurt on 60.
Having raced to be fit for the match after suffering a third hamstring strain in three months, Clarke’s new injury will raise questions over his management, and whether sentimentality trumped sense in his selection for the match.
Kohli, who replaced the injured Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India captain, lost the all-important toss and watched his bowlers toil for the most part on an unhelpful wicket.
After Warner was caught in the deep when slogging debutant legspinner Karn Sharma, Smith and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh added another 87 runs before the latter was caught behind off the bowling of paceman Varun Aaron.
Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon was bowled for three by Mohammed Shami before wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was caught behind for a duck, bringing the day to a close.
Warner took to the Indian pacemen with gusto, clubbing a four off the first ball and crunching another 18 for the day.
The pugnacious 28-year-old was fielding when Hughes was struck down by a short ball in a domestic match and he paid tribute to his former team mate on several milestones.
“I was proud of the guys firstly just to be able to walk on to the ground today,” Warner told reporters.
“For me to knuckle down and score a 100 was fantastic.
“It’s one of those things that you have to keep soldiering.”
CLARKE AGONY
He raised his bat and head to the sky after reaching 50 and 63 runs, Hughes’ final score for South Australia, and did so again after leaping for joy upon bringing up his century.
Clarke had moved serenely to 60 in tandem with Warner before he twisted to avoid a short ball from Ishant Sharma and immediately lay down to stretch.
Minutes later he trudged off with medical staff, casting a pall over the crowd of more than 25,000.
The opening match of the four-test series was originally scheduled in Brisbane but was delayed and switched to Adelaide to give players time to mourn.
On a day of tributes, both teams wore black armbands and Hughes was named an honorary “13th man” in Australia’s squad.
Following a video tribute narrated by iconic Australian commentator Richie Benaud, the crowd stood and applauded for 63 seconds.
Hughes’s death prompted a debate about the use of the bouncer, but paceman Aaron bowled the first in the fourth over, a sizzling 145 kph delivery that drew applause from the crowd.
Karn Sharma said India had been buoyed by the late wickets.
“It was very good for us that we came back in the last session,” he said. “We are back in the game.”
After the Adelaide test, Australia host India in tests at Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
Scoreboard
Australia 1st innings (Overnight: 354-6)
C. Rogers c Dhawan b I. Sharma 9
D. Warner c I. Sharma b K. Sharma 145
S. Watson c Dhawan b Aaron 14
M. Clarke not out 85
S. Smith not out 98
M. Marsh c Kohli b Aaron 41
N. Lyon b Shami 3
B. Haddin c Saha b Shami 0
Extras (lb-4 nb-2 w-4) 10
Total (for 6 wickets, 101.4 overs) 405
Fall of wickets: 1-50 C. Rogers,2-88 S. Watson,3-258 D. Warner,4-345 M. Marsh,5-352 N. Lyon,6-354 B. Haddin
To bat: P. Siddle, M. Johnson, R. Harris Bowling M. Shami 21 – 2 – 99 – 2(w-1) V. Aaron 19.4 – 1 – 109 – 2(nb-2 w-3) I. Sharma 25 – 5 – 71 – 1 K. Sharma 24 – 1 – 95 – 1 M. Vijay 12 – 3 – 27 – 0 Referees Umpire: Marais Erasmus
Umpire: Ian Gould
TV umpire: Mick Martell
Match referee: Jeff Crowe
