David Warner was spurred on by the courage of Phillip Hughes's family as he compiled a typically swashbuckling hundred on the first day of the fourth Test against India at the SCG on Tuesday.
In the first international at the SCG since Hughes was struck by a bouncer at the ground in November, Warner scored 101 off 114 in a day dominated by Australia, with the Hughes family watching on.
A bronze plaque honouring Hughes's career was unveiled on Monday at the ground, and on Tuesday a moving pre-game tribute to the former Test batsman was shown on the SCG television screen before the start of play.
Warner said he had to fight back tears before going on to record his third ton of the summer.
"I had a tear in my eye this morning when I walked out to warm up and I saw Greg (Hughes's father) and (sister) Megs up in the stands.
"It's fantastic for them to be here. The hurt and the pain they've gone through and how much it would have hurt them to come back today - it's just courageous for them to be here.
"And I applaud them for making the effort to come down, it's fantastic.
"I had a minute to myself when I came back off.
"I had my head in a towel and I had to dig deep and go out there and bat the way I know I can and try and clear my mind.
"It was tough, but I got out there and got back on the horse which we should be doing."
When he moved onto 63 during the second session, Warner bent over and kissed the wicket, beside the Test pitch at the Randwick end where Hughes was felled six weeks ago.
Hughes was 63 not out when he was hit by the bouncer.
He died two days later in hospital.
"It's always going to be in the back of my mind and I'm always going to pay tribute to my little mate," Warner said.
"Whether I was going to be 63 or 100, I thought it through my head that I wanted to pay tribute to my mate and how to do that was how I did it today.
"Every time I play here I'll definitely be doing that."
Earlier in his role as a Channel Nine commentator, injured Australia skipper Michael Clarke said how the Hughes family has been touched by the support they had received.
"They'll be here throughout the Test match," said Clarke, who like Warner was a good friend of Hughes.
"The support has been outstanding and I know Phillip's family is proud of how many people have got in contact with them to show that support."
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