Adelaide, Dec 9: A rousing 63-second standing ovation marked the start of the first Test at the Adelaide Oval here between India and Australia as a tribute to Phillip Hughes, who died November 27 after being hit by a bouncer during a domestic match.

The Adelaide Oval crowd stood in silence as Richie Benaud gave a stirring video tribute to Hughes on the big screen. The crowd then erupted into applause for 63 seconds. The Australian team had named Hughes as the "13th man" in the squad for the first Test.

Earlier, Australian skipper Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bat. He admitted at the toss that his great mate Hughes was still on his mind, but for now, "what is most important and what I know my little buddy would want, is going out and playing cricket".

IANS