After the chaos of Perth and Brisbane’s pink-ball spectacle, Adelaide delivered something more recognisably Test cricket. And for the home crowd, it came with a familiar hero. Alex Carey, batting on his home ground, produced a sparkling century to haul Australia out of early trouble and give them a slender edge on a compelling opening day.
England, already 2–0 down in the series, could not afford to fold, and they didn’t. Ben Stokes lost a toss that looked ominous under clear skies, but his bowlers stuck to their task in punishing 35-degree heat. Australia closed on 326 for 8 from 83 overs — solid, but short of what Pat Cummins would have hoped for after choosing to bat.
The standout for England was Jofra Archer. His figures of 3 for 29 from 16 overs were a sharp rebuttal to the doubts that had followed him over the past week. Bowling at an average of 88mph, Archer brought pace, hostility and control, and for long spells looked the only bowler capable of blowing the game open. Only when handed the second new ball late in the day did the effort begin to show.
Archer struck early, bouncing out Jake Weatherald, and then turned the match on its head after lunch. In a blistering burst, he removed Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green in the space of three balls. Green’s two-ball duck was a sobering reminder of cricket’s cruelty, coming less than 24 hours after he had landed a £1.5m IPL deal.
That left Australia wobbling at 94 for 4, and in danger of wasting ideal batting conditions. Carey made sure that didn’t happen. Fresh off a superb keeping display at the Gabba, the 34-year-old counterattacked with intelligence and authority, compiling a superb 106 from 143 balls. His innings peaked late in the afternoon when he drove Stokes through the covers, sending the Adelaide crowd into rapture. It was a proper, composed hundred — and a priceless one.
Australia will still feel they left runs out there. The pitch lacked the bounce of the first two Tests and offered only modest seam movement, while Will Jacks found just enough grip to trouble batters despite his loose control. His figures of 2 for 105 reflected the trade-off, but the occasional turn will have encouraged Nathan Lyon.
The day was also shaped by emotion. Before play, Adelaide Oval observed a flawless minute’s silence for the victims of Sunday’s horrific Bondi terror attack, broken only by John Williamson’s moving rendition of True Blue.
Just hours earlier, Australia had been forced into a late change. Steve Smith was ruled out on the morning of the match after experiencing dizziness and nausea — a recurrence of the vertigo that has troubled him since his injury at Lord’s six years ago.
In stepped Usman Khawaja, recalled barely a day after many believed his Test career had ended. Until Carey took control, Khawaja was the glue holding the innings together. Walking in at 33 for 2, he crafted a fluent 82 from 126 balls, sharing key stands of 61 with Labuschagne and 91 with Carey, and doing so on the eve of his 39th birthday.
A reprieve helped. On five, Harry Brook spilled a diving chance, and Khawaja immediately found his rhythm, unfurling elegant drives and flicks for 10 fours before finally falling to a sweep against Jacks just before tea.
Beyond Archer, England’s attack was again a mix of promise and frustration. Brydon Carse took 2 for 70 but struggled for rhythm early, overstepping five times with the new ball. Josh Tongue chipped in with 1 for 63. Carse did, however, remove Travis Head thanks to a stunning one-handed catch by Zak Crawley at cover — a moment of brilliance in a day that oscillated between excellence and untidiness.
It left the match finely poised. Australia have runs on the board, England have wickets in hand, and Adelaide has delivered a reminder of how gripping traditional Test cricket can still be.
