BGT rewind: Aussies ride the emotional wave in 2014

Where: Adelaide Oval (venue for second Test, December 6-10)

When: 9 December 2014 (first Test, day 1)

What was happening

Cricket had not previously experienced the sombrely surreal events that preceded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series opener of 2014-15.

Phillip Hughes's tragic death a week before the first Test was scheduled to begin at Brisbane cast a pall that only the passage of time could conceivably lift.

Yet, with hearts as heavy as emotions were raw, Australia's men's squad assembled in Adelaide where the rescheduled match would begin just 10 days after their fallen mate was laid to eternal rest.

Australia's first pre-Test training session, at a windswept suburban ground four days prior to the game starting, began with a solemn circle of remembrance and was as subdued as circumstances demanded.

Opening batter David Warner, who was among the first New South Wales fielders to reach Hughes after he was fatally struck batting for South Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, remained unsure of his emotional readiness to line up in a Test match just days hence.

Warner began and then immediately abandoned his first nets batting session in a fortnight, and instead sat with head in hands before picking up a ball to send down a few medium-pacers at teammates because he felt he "had to do something".

The following day he faced up to net bowlers but only lasted two or three deliveries before opting for gentle throw-downs as he struggled to find meaning and focus.

But he took his place in Australia's starting XI, with coach Darren Lehmann warning there was no way to predict how his mentally drained players might respond when game time arrived.

It was against that backdrop that Warner prepared for his most poignant innings, after skipper Michael Clarke won the toss and opted to bat on a morning draped heavily in sadness.

Why you needed to see it

Under brilliant blue sky and sympathetic scrutiny, Warner battled to keep emotions in check through the 63 seconds (recognising Hughes's unbeaten score in his final innings) of pre-game applause and the stirring rendition of Advance Australia Fair that followed.

However, the manner in which he would respond to this unprecedented challenge not only settled his mind but also the lingering question of how cricket could transcend such tragedy.

The first ball he faced from India's Varun Aaron was punched through extra cover with such intent the crowd barely had time to rise in celebration before it crossed the boundary rope.

Two more boundaries came in that over – a flayed upper cut over backward point and an equally adventurous slash through gully – and confirmed the left-hander was fuelled by adrenaline born of the occasion.

Another brace of fours followed in Mohammed Shami's next over as Warner surged to 28 from 13 balls faced, and the audience revelled in what was viewed as a welcome return to happier times.

The sharp intake of collective breath that followed the day's first bouncer was quickly replaced by more cheering as Warner safely ducked beneath the potentially dangerous missile, then even greater glee when the next ball was sent scorching to the fence.

By the time Chris Rogers departed for nine his opening partner was unbeaten on 37 and, come the end of the first hour, Australia were 1-64 and gloom was beginning to lift.

Warner's 50 arrived soon after (from 45 balls faced), but his muted acknowledgement and skyward glance served as simply a preamble to a more heartfelt response when he reached 63 not out and was wrapped in the warm embrace of sustained applause.

By now, the adrenaline had dimmed and Warner became watchful, although still able to put away loose offerings from India's debutant leg spinner Karn Sharma and he went to lunch unbeaten on 77 with the appreciation of the generous crowd ringing loud.

That same onlookers rode every run after lunch until Warner's century arrived via a contrastingly low-key single pushed to cover, at which point he thought momentarily before unleashing his trademark celebratory leap, embellished with a long look to the heavens.

He was hugged by Hughes's close mate Clarke (unbeaten on 41 at the other end) but, despite another flurry of boundaries immediately after tea, the day's mental and physical demands took toll and Warner holed out trying to clear the fence having scored 145.

"I played with a lot of adrenaline there but really had to pull it back after I got going," Warner said at the close of a day that yielded far greater consequence than Australia's stumps score of 6-354.

"Being there on the day it (Hughes's blow) happened it was quite tough, the memories are still stuck in my head."

Just as the recollections of Warner's extraordinary statement remain vivid among all who lived it first-hand.

Who might repeat history

With his retirement from Test cricket last summer, and exit from the international game after the recent T20 World Cup, Warner won't be back at Adelaide Oval to reprise his role in Australia's famous win of a decade earlier.

However, another swashbuckling left-hander – also a local South Australian hero – Travis Head has shown a fondness for his home ground with big hundreds and player-of-the-match honours in his past two Tests at the venue.

Throw in Head's penchant for match-winning scores in big games against India (witness the finals of last year's ICC World Cup and World Test Championship) and the stage is laid for more history to be made.

NRMA Insurance Men's Test Series v India

First Test: India won by 295 runs

Second Test: December 6-10: Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (D/N)

Third Test: December 14-18: The Gabba, Brisbane, 11.20am AEDT

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10.30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 3-7: SCG, Sydney, 10.30am AEDT

Australia squad (for second Test): Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar. Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal