David Warner posted a poignant century, while injury stopped Michael Clarke from doing the same as Australia reached 2-238 at tea on day one of the first Test against India.
Warner and Clarke shared a 118-run stand and looked to be taking the game away from India at Adelaide Oval when the captain retired hurt in the 44th over.
Clarke had seamlessly moved to 60 off 84 balls, only to be undone by an innocuous short ball from Ishant Sharma.
Clarke’s chronic back injury flared up when he watched the unthreatening delivery sail down the leg side.
The 33-year-old immediately called for doctor Peter Brukner and physio Alex Kountouris, stretched his back then trudged off the field.
Clarke, who was praised for his leadership in a traumatic fortnight after the death of friend and fellow cricketer Phillip Hughes, had recovered from a recurring hamstring injury to play the opening match of the four-Test series.
“It was a gamble worth taking,” Michael Hussey opined while calling the game for the Nine Network.
Clarke won the toss and his injury was the only sour note on a day full of moving tributes to Hughes.
Warner, 131 not out at tea, was responsible for many of them.
The opener closed his eyes and looked to the sky on 50, then again on 63.
The 28-year-old was in the field for NSW when his friend Hughes was struck and fatally injured by a bouncer on November 28 during a Sheffield Shield game at the SCG.
Hughes died two days later, his final knock finishing at 63 not out.
Warner moved into triple figures in the second session with a single off debutant legspinner Karn Sharma.
Warner kissed his helmet and held it up to the sky, giving Clarke a hug in the middle of the pitch amid raucous applause.
Veteran seamer Ishant Sharma was the pick of the visitors’ bowlers, ending the initial run spree then dismissing opener Chris Rogers.
Warner had raced to 32 off 15 balls, unleashing cover driver after cover drive as Mohammed Shami and Varun Aaron gave him too much width with the new ball.
The crowd stood for 63 seconds of applause prior to the match, while Clarke was also given a loud standing ovation when he came out to bat.
