OTD 2014: Phil Hughes passed away after being struck on head

Phil Hughes was considered to be one of the rising stars of Australian cricket. He had made 26 Test, 25 ODI and a solitary T20I appearance in his short career. Even before his promising cricketing career could take off at the international level, he succumbed to a fatal injury sustained on the cricket field just three days before his 26th birthday.

It was on this very day eight years ago that Phil Hughes’ life came to a tragic end on the 22 yards. Hughes was toiling manfully from his end to find a place in the Australian squad for the 2015 World Cup at home in a few months. Just a couple of days before the tragic incident, the southpaw was included for a Sheffield Shield fixture between the New South Wales and South Australia at the SCG.

The match also witnessed the likes of Mitchell Starc and David Warner participating in it in order to prepare for the upcoming home Test series against India. Meanwhile, this was a huge moment for Hughes who had been sidelined from the national team for over a year.

The South Australian opener looked in splendid touch and went on to score a half-century. Unfortunately for the youngster, while he was going strong at 63, he was floored by an awkward bouncer from pacer Sean Abbott.

Hughes appeared to be in deep discomfort and suddenly he collapsed. The unconscious cricketer was carried to the pavilion for medical attention by the support staff and the medical team and the game was halted with immediate effect.

The southpaw was admitted to a hospital in Sydney and the surgeries were performed instantly. The doctors tried their level best to help him regain consciousness but to no avail. Even after two whole days were passed, there were no positive reports as he suffered a fatal cerebral haemorrhage.

And thus, on November 27, 2014, the inevitable happened and the doctors officially declared that Phil Hughes had succumbed to his injuries. His funeral was held on December 3 and almost all the Australian cricketers were present to offer their last respects to the departed soul. The occasion also witnessed the presence of the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

The then Australian captain Michael Clarke was seen weeping inconsolably and also could not hold back his tears while remembering his real-life best friend later on during a function.

Hughes was made Australia’s 13th man for the first two home Test matches against India. The Aussies went on to win that Test series, the subsequent tri-series featuring England and eventually went on lift the World Cup at the iconic MCG.