Wicketkeeper Alex Carey's Stunning Century Assists Australia Bounce Back From An Early English Ashes Charge.
After that chaos from the Perth Test as well as Brisbane's day-night palooza, an outbreak of familiar brand of Test cricket broke out on the turf of Adelaide Oval. For the home crowd, it was one to cherish, as local hero Alex Carey delivered a sparkling century on his home turf to help Australia edge day one.
Not that The touring English side, 2-0 down while clinging on in the contest, could be too disappointed. Skipper Ben Stokes had lost what appeared an ominous coin toss and, though not perfect, the English attack continued persevering in scorching conditions. By the close of play, Australia had reached 326 for eight off 83 overs – a total on the board but surely below initial expectations when captain Pat Cummins got the choice in the morning.
The Pace of Archer Stands Out For England's Fightback.
The standout among the tourists proved to be Jofra Archer. Returning figures of three for 29 from 16 overs were a powerful answer against the scrutiny that came his way. Here he clearly spearheaded the attack, clocking around 88mph (142kmh) on the speedometer and offering Stokes both control and obvious menace. Only at the end of the day – one over using the fresh cherry – did he look somewhat weary.
Having bounced out Jake Weatherald first thing, the fast bowler's first over post-lunch accounted for Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green in the space of three balls. The all-rounder's golden duck served as a reminder that cricket can swiftly bring a player back to reality, coming from weak chip shot to the mid-wicket fielder occurring barely a day after trousering a massive £1.5m contract in the IPL.
The Keeper's Invaluable Contribution Rescues The Innings.
Alex Carey's day, in contrast, was simply priceless, peaking at late afternoon as he elegantly drove Stokes through cover for three runs which prompted the Adelaide faithful rose in a huge roar. Coming off that virtuoso display behind the stumps in Brisbane, his counterattacking 106 from 143 deliveries made sure that the post-lunch wobble to 94/4 did not become a complete collapse. The 34-year-old is a genuinely Test match player these days.
Australia undoubtedly left a few runs on the field, though. Gone was the excessive bounce of the opening matches and in its place only a fraction of nibble when a good length was hit.
The pitch also offered a bit of grip for Will Jacks, although his control was that of a part-time spinner – hence figures of two for 105 from his 20 overs – and the balls he did get to turn sharply will give hope to Australia's own spinner, Nathan Lyon.
Solemn Backdrop and A Late Team Change.
This was inevitably an emotional occasion for the host nation, arriving so shortly in the wake of the horrific terrorist attack in Bondi. The minute’s silence observed prior to the first ball was perfectly observed, broken only by musician John Williams performing a stirring version of the anthem 'True Blue'.
Earlier, Australia had also been compelled to make a change from their announced XI. Veteran batsman Steve Smith was withdrawn due to dizziness along with sickness in the morning – an apparent recurrence of a vertigo issue that has periodically affected him since being felled by a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord's years back.
In came Usman Khawaja, just 24 hours after many felt his Test career may be over. Before the wicketkeeper's heroics, the left-hander had expertly held the Australian innings together, coming to the crease with the score on 33 for two and finessing 82 from 126 deliveries a day out from turning 39. Stands worth 61 runs with Marnus Labuschagne plus another of 91 with Carey proved significant.
The Tourist's Mixed Bag Continues.
Aside from Archer's efforts, and notwithstanding the energy-sapping heat, this was still another frustrating day for England’s attack. Seamer Brydon Carse somewhat continued his inconsistent form from the series, picking up figures of 2/70 from his 13 overs, and the recalled Josh Tongue picked up 1/63 from 15 overs.
The Durham bowler looked all over the shop when handed sharing the duty of the new ball early on, overstepping five times but still dismissing Travis Head for 10 thanks to a sublime one-handed catch by Zak Crawley in the covers. It rather encapsulated the day's play for both sides: brilliance mixed with periods of error-prone play.
