Australia's Alex Carey's Brilliant Century Helps The Baggy Greens Recover From An Early England Test Series Assault.
Following the chaos of Perth as well as the Gabba's pink-ball spectacle, an outbreak of traditional style of red-ball cricket returned at Adelaide Oval. For the home crowd, the day proved a day to cherish, as local hero the wicketkeeper-batsman delivered a magnificent hundred at his home venue to help the home side edge the first day's play.
However, England, 2-0 down and clinging on in the contest, could be entirely disheartened. Skipper Ben Stokes had lost what appeared an ominous coin toss and, despite being not at their best, his bowlers kept persevering in 35c heat. By the close of play, Australia had reached 326 for eight from 83 overs – runs on the board but surely short of their expectations when captain Pat Cummins got the choice first thing.
The Pace of Archer Leads England's Resistance.
The most impressive performer among England was speedster Jofra Archer. Figures of three for 29 off his 16 overs constituted a strong riposte against some of criticism that came this past week. On this day he clearly led the bowling unit, averaging 88mph (142kph) on the speed gun while providing Stokes a combination of accuracy and clear threat. It was only towards the very end of play – one over using the second new ball – did he look a bit jaded.
After bounced out Jake Weatherald early on, the fast bowler's initial over post-lunch wiped out Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green within just three balls. Green's golden duck was a stark reminder of how this sport can bring a player back down to earth, his weak chip to mid-wicket arriving less than 24 hours after securing a massive £1.5m contract for the upcoming IPL.
The Keeper's Priceless Contribution Rescues The Innings.
Alex Carey's day, in contrast, was simply priceless, culminating at 4.48pm as he drove Ben Stokes through cover for three and the Adelaide faithful to rise in a huge roar. Coming off his masterful display with the gloves in Brisbane, the left-hander's counterattacking 106 off 143 deliveries ensured that a mid-innings stumble of 94 for four did not become a complete collapse. The 34-year-old has become a genuinely Test match player nowadays.
The Australian batting lineup undoubtedly left a few runs on the field, however. Absent was the excessive pace and bounce of the opening matches replaced by just a hint of seam movement when a good length was hit.
The pitch also offered a bit of turn for Will Jacks, even if his consistency was typical of a part-time spinner – resulting in figures of 2/105 from 20 overs – but the deliveries he did get to misbehave will give hope to Nathan Lyon.
Solemn Context and A Late Switch.
This was inevitably an emotional day for Australia, arriving so soon after the horrific terrorist attack at Bondi. A minute's silence before the start of play was perfectly observed, broken only by musician John Williams performing an emotional rendition of the anthem True Blue.
Earlier, Australia had also been compelled to make a change from their stated starting eleven. Steve Smith pulled out due to dizziness along with sickness in the morning – seemingly recurrence of a vertigo issue which has intermittently affected the star batter ever since being felled by a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord's years back.
His place was taken by Usman Khawaja, a day after it was speculated his Test career may be over. Until the wicketkeeper's heroics, Khawaja had expertly held the Australian innings steady, coming to the crease with the score on 33/2 and finessing 82 from 126 deliveries a day out from his 39th birthday. Stands worth 61 runs with Marnus Labuschagne plus another of 91 runs with Carey were crucial.
The Tourist's Mixed Bag Persists.
Aside from Archer's efforts, and despite the energy-sapping conditions, it remained yet another frustrating day for the English bowling attack. Seamer Brydon Carse rather rolled over his inconsistent form from the first two Tests, finishing with two for 70 off 13 overs, and the incoming Josh Tongue claimed 1/63 in 15 overs.
Carse was erratic when tasked with sharing the duty of the new ball first thing, overstepping five times but still dismissing Travis Head for just 10 runs courtesy of a sublime one-handed catch from Zak Crawley in the covers. It rather encapsulated the day for both teams: brilliance mixed with periods of sloppy play.
