Third Ashes Test, Adelaide Oval (day one of five)
Australia 326-8: Carey 106, Khawaja 82; Archers 3-29
England: Not yet batted
Australia wins the toss
scorecard
Alex Carey’s century led England to 326-8 on day one of the third Test to stay in the Ashes.
On a dramatic, poignant and emotional day in Adelaide, Carey’s 106 ensured Australia did not waste the opportunity to bat first on a slow pitch in scorching temperatures.
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It means England must win to keep their hopes of regaining the Ashes alive and the pressure will be on them the next day.
Even before tributes were paid to the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting at Adelaide Oval, Steve Smith was ruled out of testing after suffering symptoms of dizziness and nausea.
Smith’s replacement Usman Khawaja seized an unexpected opportunity to score 82 after being dismissed by Harry Brook at five. Khawaja steadied the home team amid some loose shots from Australia against England’s bowling mix.
Jofra Archer had a brilliant performance with figures of 3-29 in 16 overs, including taking two wickets in the first over after lunch.
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Khawaja and Carey put on 91 for the fifth wicket, but England got a real chance when Australia reached 271-7.
Mitchell Starc once again found a way to contribute, adding 50 runs for the eighth wicket along with Carey.
England will return with a second new ball on Thursday, just three overs old. They had a chance to eliminate Australia on an even scoreline and potentially get back into the series.
England is about to face a day of reckoning
For all the talk about England’s missteps in the first two Tests, the wisdom of their holiday in Noosa and the change in approach to play in this match, there was nothing to fault the visitors’ effort or attitude in the 34-degree heat.
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The bowling was poor at times and it was difficult for part-time spinner Will Jacks to keep control.
But Archer stepped up as the leader of the attack and, apart from Brooke’s decline, England’s defense was largely flawless.
The Australians’ waste helped them and they had to deal with the pain of losing Smith. The hosts’ leading batsman is expected to be available for the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The atmosphere at Adelaide Oval, one of the most beautiful venues in world cricket, was initially somber as tributes were paid to the victims of the Bundy incident. There was a moment of silence and Australian singer John Williamson sang “True Blue”.
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Since then, cricket has become a battle for supremacy. Both sides mixed quality moments with mistakes of their own making.
Even in such good batting conditions, there was suspicion that this was a good chance for England to lose. They are a good chasing team and are expected to be even hotter on Thursday. Still, batting requires extra enthusiasm in order to stay in the Ashes.
Khawaja and Carey stand up for Australia
Their respective innings were huge for both Khawaja and Carey.
A day shy of his 39th birthday, Khawaja may have thought his Test career was over until Smith fell ill. For Carey, who hails from South Australia, it is the first Test in his homeland since the death of his father in September.
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Both arrived after two wickets fell one after another. Khawaja looked nervous early on and a flick from Josh Tongue should have been blocked by Brooke jumping to his left at second slip.
From there, left-hander Khawaja waited for England to drift straight and tucked his pads away – getting to the front of the offside square with barely a run. He ends up sweeping Jax to deep square leg.
Carey proved to be a thorn in England’s side, with the third Test century coming with a crisp break and aggression against Jacks. He came close to being bowled for 52, only for Kasai to take an extremely tough chance and when Carey scored 72, England’s backward comment was struck.
The technology’s acoustic evidence is not enough to overturn a decision on the spot.
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Carey drove Ben Stokes through the covers to reach three figures and looked to the sky in celebration. His crucial strike ended when he mistakenly handed Jakes into the hands of goalkeeper Jamie Smith.
England improve but face decisive day
Stokes said his dressing room was “not for the weak” and called it the most important test of his captaincy. His words certainly showed the character of his team.
Archer is a constant threat, bowling with great pace and economy. He struck down Jack Wesselard in the first hour and then poked through the leg sides of Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green in the post-lunch tie.
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Carles represents England’s highs and lows. His new ball was too short but he still took the wicket of Travis Head thanks to a stunning one-handed catch by Zak Crawley at short cover.
The Durham pacer bowled six no-balls for five overs but still picked up two catches, almost catching Carey and leaving returning Australia skipper Pat Cummins caught at short leg.
Tongue deserves more of a recall to the England squad, especially as a victim of Brooke’s fall. The most glaring problem for the visitors was part-time spinner Jacks’ inability to take control – he returned to the game with figures of 2-105 in 20 overs.
But even when the day looked likely to be away from England when Carey and Starc were together, Stokes’ men soldiered on. They are taking this test and now face a day of reckoning with the bat.
