After charging through the gate like a bull, David Warner went like a bull at a gate.

And in the blink of an eye, Warner made cricket move on from the death of his mate Phillip Hughes.

Warner, friends, foes and the Adelaide Oval crowd applauded Hughes for 63 heartfelt seconds before the first Test started.

The latest tribute for the fallen batsman was especially poignant for Warner, who was by Hughes’ side from the moment he was struck by a fatal bouncer two weeks ago.

Warner stood, pads on, during the pre-game ceremony as some teammates wept.

After briefly returning to the changerooms, Warner next appeared as a man on a mission.

He burst through the Adelaide Oval gates and kept running as his opening partner Chris Rogers ambled some 20 metres behind.

Warner twice looked skyward as a batsman often does to adjust his eyes to the sun, though these times it was different as the dynamic batsman clearly thought of Hughes.

Warner had already taken guard before the Indians broke from their on-field huddle.

And then, in a few minutes, he changed the tone of Australian cricket from respectful remembrance to pure joy.

Warner smacked his first ball through cover for four. Three balls later, he cracked another to the boundary behind point; next ball, upper-cutting to the same fence.

Next over, the game’s third, he blasted three boundaries in five balls.

After four overs, Warner was 35 not out and Australia 0-40.

He then tempered his aggression, albeit slightly, posting his half-century from 45 balls.

Soon after, Warner again looked heavenward when his total reached 63 – the same score Hughes was when, batting for South Australia, he was forever felled. The crowd instinctively cheered, for 63 has become a new milestone.

Warner batted on to bank his 10th Test ton – half of them coming in his past 10 innings.

He celebrated by kissing the Australian badge on his helmet while looking to the heavens again, then joined Michael Clarke mid-pitch for surely cricket’s most tender embrace.

Warner dedicated his century to Hughes. He may as well have dedicated it cricket for it helped the sun shine again on the sport after some its darkest days.