Australian cricket players are wearing black armbands in the ongoing day-night Test against India at the Adelaide Oval to honor two cricketing legends. The gesture pays tribute to Phillip Hughes, on the 10th anniversary of his tragic death, and Ian Redpath, who passed away on December 1.
Phillip Hughes is remembered across the cricketing world after a tragic incident on November 25, 2014. During a Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Hughes was struck on the neck by a bouncer bowled by Sean Abbott. The injury resulted in a vertebral artery dissection that led to a fatal brain hemorrhage. Hughes collapsed on the field and passed away on November 27, 2014, just days before his 26th birthday.
Ian Redpath, on the other hand, contributed significantly to Australian cricket between 1964 and 1976. Redpath played 66 Test matches and five One-Day Internationals during his career and remains a respected figure in Australian cricket history.
The second Test between India and Australia began at a packed Adelaide Oval on Friday (December 6). Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first. India entered the Day-Night Test with a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after a dominant 295-run win in the opening Test in Perth.
India made three changes to the lineup. Rohit Sharma returned after paternity leave, Shubman Gill returned to his No. 3 spot, and Ravichandran Ashwin replaced Ravindra Jadeja as the lead spinner. Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, and Washington Sundar have been dropped, with Nitish Kumar Reddy coming in at No. 7, ahead of Ashwin at No. 8.
Rohit Sharma, after winning the toss, commented, "It will have some carry for the fast bowlers, but as the game goes, it will get better to bat. There will be something in it for everyone."
Australia XI: Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
India XI: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.