Team India & Australia to pay homage to Phil Hughes on his 6th death anniversary on Nov 27

The Men in Blue and the Australian squad will pay homage to late cricketer Phil Hughes on November 27 as they lock horns in the first ODI of the series at Sydney. The day will mark the sixth death anniversary of the Australian cricketer who lost his life after getting hit by a bouncer on the neck. As a mark of respect, the teams are likely to stand for 63 seconds of applause. 

Australian players are also speculated to wear black armbands with Phil Hughes initials imprinted on it. The duration is symbolic as Hughes was not-out on 63 when he was struck by a bouncer during the Sheffield Shield game in 2014. 

In the match between South Australia and New South Wales, Hughes was struck by a bouncer on his neck as he attempted a hook shot and collapsed immediately. He was rushed to a hospital where he went into a coma as he suffered a brain haemorrhage. The cricketer succumbed to the injury three days letter and was just three days short of turning 26-years-old. Huges had played 26 Tests and 25 ODIs for Australia, after making his debut in 2014. 

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India tour of Australia 

India will kick off their tour to Australia with a three-match ODI series starting on Friday, 27 November, followed by as many T20Is and four Tests. The T20Is will be played in Canberra (4 December) and Sydney (6, 8 December). The ODI series will also be significant as it will be a part of ICC Super League. The Indian team is currently under mandatory 2-week quarantine, however, it has been allowed to train under strict protocols. The Men in Blue will also miss the services of their limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma, who has been rested for white-ball series and is expected to join the team foir the Test series.

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The first Test will be a day/night affair, from 17-21 December at the Adelaide Oval. The Melbourne Cricket Ground (26-30 December) will host the Boxing Day Test, before the action moves to the Sydney Cricket Ground (7-11 January) and the Gabba (15-19 January). With India currently on top of the World Test Championship table and Australia in second, the series is expected to be a thriller, as it will also be a part of the ICC World Test Championship.

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