Australia's Alex Carey's Sparkling Hundred Aids The Baggy Greens Bounce Back From Early English Test Series Charge.
Following that pandemonium from the Perth Test and the Gabba's day-night palooza, an outbreak of familiar brand regarding the longest format was witnessed on the turf of the Adelaide ground. For the delighted South Australian fans, the day proved one to enjoy, as homegrown talent Alex Carey notched up a magnificent century at his home ground to help Australia edge the first day's play.
Not that The touring English side, trailing 2-0 and clinging on in this series, could be too disappointed. Ben Stokes lost out on what seemed like an ominous coin toss and, though not perfect, the English attack kept plugging away under sweltering conditions. At stumps, Australia were 326-8 off 83 overs bowled – a total on the board yet likely short of their expectations after captain Pat Cummins got the toss in the morning.
Jofra Archer Leads The Tourist's Effort.
The most impressive performer among the tourists proved to be Jofra Archer. Figures of three for 29 off his 16 overs were a powerful riposte to the criticism that came his way. On this day he visibly led the attack, averaging around 88mph (142kmh) on the speed gun while providing his captain a combination of control together with clear menace. It was only towards the very end of the day – during a single over using the fresh cherry – that he appeared somewhat weary.
Having bounced out Jake Weatherald first thing, Archer's first over post-lunch wiped out Marnus Labuschagne followed by Cameron Green in the space of three deliveries. The all-rounder's duck served as a reminder that this sport can swiftly bring even a celebrated player back down to earth, coming from tepid chip shot to mid-wicket arriving less than a day following trousering a massive £1.5m deal in the IPL.
The Keeper's Invaluable Contribution Rescues The Innings.
Alex Carey's day, in contrast, was simply priceless, peaking at 4.48pm when he elegantly drove Stokes through cover for three which prompted the crowd to rise with a roar. Fresh from his virtuoso outing with the gloves in Brisbane, the left-hander's aggressive 106 off 143 balls made sure that the post-lunch wobble to 94 for four failed to develop into a complete crisis. The 34-year-old is a genuinely cricketer nowadays.
The Australian batting lineup did leave a few runs on the field, however. Gone was the excessive bounce from the first two Tests and in its place just a hint of seam movement when the right area was hit.
The pitch also offered a bit of grip to off-spinner Will Jacks, even if his consistency was that of a part-time spinner – resulting in figures of two for 105 from his 20 overs – but the deliveries he did get to misbehave will give hope to Nathan Lyon.
Solemn Context and Late Switch.
This was always going to be an emotional occasion for the host nation, coming so soon in the wake of the horrific tragic incident at Bondi. A minute's silence prior to the start of play was immaculately held, followed by musician John Williams delivering an emotional rendition of the anthem 'True Blue'.
Earlier, the hosts were also compelled to make a change to their stated starting eleven. Veteran batsman Steve Smith pulled out due to dizziness and nausea in the morning – an apparent recurrence of a vertigo issue that has intermittently troubled the star batter ever since being felled by Archer at Lord's six years ago.
In came Usman Khawaja, just 24 hours after it was speculated his Test career could be over. Until the wicketkeeper's heroics, Khawaja had held the innings steady, walking out with the score on 33 for two and crafting 82 off 126 balls just a day from turning 39. Partnerships worth 61 runs with Labuschagne plus another of 91 with Alex Carey were crucial.
England's Mixed Bag Continues.
Aside from Archer's efforts, and notwithstanding the energy-sapping heat, this was still another frustrating outing for the English bowling attack. Seamer Brydon Carse somewhat continued his inconsistent form of the series, finishing with two for 70 from his 13 overs, and the incoming Josh Tongue picked up one for 63 from 15 overs.
The Durham bowler was erratic when handed sharing the new cherry early on, no-balling on five occasions yet removing Travis Head for 10 thanks to a sublime one-handed catch by Zak Crawley in the covers. It rather summed up the day's play for both sides: brilliance interspersed with periods of error-prone cricket.
