Captain Michael Clarke and coach Darren Lehmann talk during a nets session today. Source: Getty Images

The Test shirt of Michael Clarke of Australia is seen displaying 408 in tribute to Phillip Hughes. Source: Getty Images

And in yet another touching and emotional tribute to Phillip Hughes, whose baggy green cap number, 408, will be worn on the Australian shirts, the fallen opener has been named as 13th man for the Test.

With Clarke spared his customary task of conducting the captain’s pre-match press conference, the job of releasing the Test XI fell instead to pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson.

Unaccustomed though he might have been to the role, he didn’t fluff his lines, announcing that while Marsh would return today to Perth to play Sheffield Shield for Western Australia against Victoria, Hazlewood would remain with the team, which will not change for the Brisbane Test starting on December 17.

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Johnson said he had no fears that Clarke’s hamstring problems, which probably would have ruled him out of the first Test had the schedule not been radically rejigged following Hughes’ death, would resurface during the Adelaide Test.

“It’s a huge boost to have him back in and playing for us,” said Johnson of Clarke. “I think with his captaincy, and he’s shown how strong he’s been over the last couple of weeks with the tragedy we’ve had, it’s really nice to have him back. He’s a strong captain and we need him out there in this tough series.”

There has been much speculation about how the Australian pacemen in general, and Johnson in particular, would emotionally cope with Hughes’ death and whether they could bring themselves to bounce the Indian batsmen, but the left-arm spearhead of the attack insisted he would not hold back.

“We’ve got to play the way that we’ve been playing and that’s being aggressive,” he said. “That’s the way I’ve always played the game. I know our boys will be going out there and playing the best cricket they can. If that’s bowling the short ball the way we have been, then that’s what we’ll do.

“We’ll assess the conditions obviously but we’re not going to change a thing. As a bowling unit, the last 18 months for me personally, I’ve been bowling very aggressive and I’m not going to change that.”

Before the Test a small ceremony will be held out on the ground — on which 408 will also be painted — with the players then joining in 63 seconds of applause in recognition of Hughes’ final, unbeaten innings but Johnson admitted that the moment would add to the poignancy of the first morning of the series.

“It’s going to be an emotional morning and probably looking at it from our first little part of the game, for me going out there and bowling the first spell might be the most difficult and then might just get into the game a little more. But mentally, we’ve had a few training sessions. The vibe’s good.”

Actor Jack Thompson reads 63 Not Out, a poem for Philip Hughes. Courtesy Cricket Australia

Iconic Australian actor Jack Thompson has also been recorded reading a poem for Cricket Australia in tribute to Hughes.

You can watch the performance of the poem, which was written by a Cricket Australia staff member, above.