Australia's Alex Carey's Sparkling Hundred Helps Australia Recover After Early English Ashes Charge.
In the wake of that frenzy from the Perth Test as well as Brisbane's pink-ball spectacle, an outbreak of familiar style of red-ball cricket was witnessed on the turf of Adelaide Oval. For the delighted South Australian fans, the day proved one to savour, as their boy the wicketkeeper-batsman produced a magnificent hundred on his home venue to help Australia just shade day one.
However, The touring English side, 2-0 down and clinging on in the contest, were too disappointed. Ben Stokes lost out on what seemed like a significant coin toss and, though not perfect, his bowlers kept plugging away in sweltering conditions. By the close of play, the Australians were 326-8 off 83 overs bowled – a total on the board yet likely short of initial expectations after captain Pat Cummins won the toss in the morning.
Jofra Archer Stands Out For The Tourist's Resistance.
The most impressive performer among England was speedster Jofra Archer. Figures of three for 29 off his 16 overs constituted a strong answer against some of scrutiny directed at him his way. On this day he clearly spearheaded the bowling unit, clocking around 88mph (142kph) on the speedometer and offering his captain both accuracy and clear menace. It was only towards the end of the day – one over using the fresh cherry – that he appeared somewhat weary.
Having dismissed opener Jake Weatherald early on, Archer's initial over post-lunch wiped out Marnus Labuschagne followed by Cameron Green within just three balls. Green's golden duck was a stark reminder of how cricket can swiftly bring even a celebrated player back to reality, his tepid chip shot to the mid-wicket fielder arriving less than a day after trousering a massive multi-million dollar contract in the IPL.
The Keeper's Invaluable Contribution Steadies The Ship.
Alex Carey's performance, however, was simply priceless, peaking at 4.48pm when he elegantly drove Ben Stokes through the covers for three and the crowd rose in a huge roar. Coming off that virtuoso display behind the stumps in Brisbane, his counterattacking 106 from 143 balls made sure that a mid-innings stumble to 94/4 failed to develop into a complete collapse. The 34-year-old is a genuinely Test match player these days.
The Australian batting lineup undoubtedly left some potential runs on the field, however. Absent was the excessive bounce of the first two Tests and in its place only a fraction of nibble when the right area was hit.
The pitch also offered a bit of turn to Will Jacks, even if his control was that of a part-timer – hence figures of 2/105 off his 20 overs – but the deliveries he did get to misbehave will encourage Nathan Lyon.
Emotional Backdrop and A Late Team Change.
The day's play was inevitably a poignant day for Australia, arriving so soon after the horrific tragic incident in Bondi. The minute’s silence observed prior to the first ball was perfectly held, followed by musician John Williams performing an emotional rendition of the anthem True Blue.
Earlier, Australia were also forced into an alteration to their stated XI. Veteran batsman Steve Smith pulled out due to feeling dizzy and nausea in the morning – an apparent return of the vertigo that has intermittently troubled him ever since he was struck by Archer at Lord's six years ago.
In came Usman Khawaja, a day after it was speculated his Test career may be over. Until the wicketkeeper's arrival, Khawaja had held the innings steady, walking out with the score on 33 for two before finessing 82 off 126 balls just a day from his 39th birthday. Stands of 61 with Marnus Labuschagne and 91 with Alex Carey proved significant.
England's Mixed Bag Continues.
Aside from Archer's efforts, and notwithstanding the sapping heat, it remained still another frustrating outing from the English bowling attack. Brydon Carse rather rolled over his form from the first two Tests, picking up two for 70 from his 13 overs, and the recalled Josh Tongue claimed 1/63 from 15 overs.
The Durham bowler was erratic when handed sharing the duty of the new cherry early on, overstepping five times but still dismissing Travis Head for 10 thanks to a sublime one-handed catch from Zak Crawley in the covers. This moment encapsulated the day's play for both teams: brilliance interspersed with periods of error-prone play.
