Alex Carey's Brilliant Ton Assists Australia Recover From A Swift England Ashes Charge.
Following the pandemonium from the Perth Test and the Gabba's day-night palooza, an outbreak of familiar brand of Test cricket broke out at Adelaide Oval. For the delighted South Australian fans, it was a day to savour, with homegrown talent the wicketkeeper-batsman delivered a magnificent hundred on his home ground as Australia Australia edge day one.
However, England, 2-0 down while still fighting in the series, could be too downbeat. Ben Stokes had lost what seemed like a crucial coin toss and, despite being not at their best, the English attack continued persevering in 35c conditions. At stumps, Australia were 326-8 from 83 overs bowled – a total on the board yet likely short of initial expectations after Pat Cummins won the toss first thing.
Jofra Archer Leads The Tourist's Fightback.
The most impressive performer among England proved to be speedster Jofra Archer. Figures of 3/29 off his 16 overs were a strong answer against the criticism directed at him his way. On this day he clearly spearheaded the bowling unit, averaging around 88mph (142kmh) on the speed gun and offering Stokes both control and clear menace. Only at the very end of the day – during a single over with the second new ball – did he look somewhat weary.
After dismissed Jake Weatherald early on, Archer's first over post-lunch wiped out Marnus Labuschagne followed by Cameron Green within just three deliveries. Green's golden duck was a stark reminder of how cricket can bring even a celebrated player back down to earth, coming from tepid chip shot to the mid-wicket fielder occurring barely 24 hours following trousering a record £1.5m deal in the Indian Premier League.
Carey's Priceless Contribution Rescues The Innings.
Carey's performance, in contrast, was nothing short of priceless, culminating around late afternoon as he drove Ben Stokes through the covers for three runs and the crowd rose in a huge roar. Coming off that masterful outing with the gloves at the Gabba, his aggressive 106 runs off 143 balls made sure that the mid-innings stumble of 94 for four failed to develop into a complete collapse. At 34, Carey is a serious Test match player nowadays.
The Australian batting lineup did leave some potential runs on the field, however. Absent was the pronounced bounce of the first two Tests and in its place only a fraction of seam movement if the right area was hit.
The pitch also offered some grip for off-spinner Will Jacks, even if his consistency was typical of a part-time spinner – resulting in expensive figures of 2/105 off 20 overs – and the balls that did to misbehave will encourage Australia's own spinner, Nathan Lyon.
Emotional Backdrop and Late Switch.
The day's play was always going to be an emotional day for the host nation, arriving so soon in the wake of a devastating tragic incident in Bondi. A minute's silence observed before the start of play was perfectly observed, followed by musician John Williams delivering an emotional version of the anthem 'True Blue'.
Earlier, the hosts had also been compelled to make a change from their announced XI. Veteran batsman Steve Smith pulled out after reporting feeling dizzy and nausea first thing – an apparent return of a vertigo issue that has intermittently affected the star batter since being felled by Archer at Lord’s years back.
In came Usman Khawaja, a day after it was speculated his Test career could be finished. Until the wicketkeeper's arrival, Khawaja had expertly held the Australian innings together, walking out at 33 for two and finessing 82 from 126 deliveries just a day before turning 39. Partnerships of 61 with Labuschagne and 91 with Alex Carey were significant.
The Tourist's Mixed Bag Continues.
Archer aside, and notwithstanding the energy-sapping heat, it remained yet another frustrating outing for the English bowling attack. Seamer Brydon Carse somewhat continued his inconsistent form of the series, finishing with figures of 2/70 off 13 overs, and the recalled Josh Tongue picked up one for 63 from 15 overs.
The Durham bowler looked all over the shop when tasked with sharing the duty of the new ball first thing, no-balling on five occasions but still dismissing Travis Head for just 10 runs courtesy of a spectacular one-handed catch by Zak Crawley at cover. This moment encapsulated the day's play for both sides: moments of brilliance interspersed with some error-prone play.
