His was ensured by Alex Carey. Following an outstanding ‘keeping performance in Brisbane, where he was all agility and confidence, the local boy batted with the poise that comes from being well-versed in these conditions. In line with the circumstances and Australia’s generally optimistic attitude, his century was appropriate, thoughtful, and scored at a rapid pace. The hosts concluded on 326 for 8, which may have been more dominant given the circumstances, but it wasn’t as disastrous as it appeared for a few seconds.
Nobody had fully expected Steve Smith’s absence to loom over the Adelaide Test’s opening morning. The talismanic batter and captain of Australia for the previous two Tests was physically absent, not absent in the abstract sense of bad form or being left out. He had came out prior to the game, attempted to do his customary thorough pre-match preparation, felt the dizziness that had been bothering him continue, and decided what to do. After that, he left and returned to the hotel.
On the eve of his 39th birthday, Usman Khawaja, who had been cut from the team just the night before, found himself padding up at No. 4 due to Smith’s tardy withdrawal. Think it’s over, get another chance, then make it matter to keep the motor running. This has been the pattern of his career for years. He believed he was finished in Sydney three years ago, but the Twin Hundreds brought him back to life and given him another chance at a Test career.
Though it was nonetheless dramatic, today wasn’t nearly that. Harry Brook dropped him early. Khawaja had a simple opportunity put down when he was on five, and on a fine and true pitch in the brilliant Adelaide sun, there was a hundred to be had. Although Khawaja’s 82 was significant and defining in its own right, it didn’t provide the seemingly inevitable hundred that was needed to steady the innings.
England may be very satisfied with their day’s effort after losing the toss and finding a pitch that provided them with very little help. They continued to score when it was needed, prevented the game from slipping into Australian control, and managed to stay competitive on a day when 400 for 3 looked doable.
Because they had had a bad start to this crucial match. Looking like a man in quest of rhythm, Brydon Carse spilt three boundaries and blasted the fresh ball around. Against the flow of play, the first wicket was taken. Jamie Smith slid across and cleanly digested the short that Jofra Archer, with his quickness and sharpness, had dug at Jake Weatherald, who fumbled towards leg slip. After Travis Head, who was excellently caught by Zak Crawley diving at cover point, Australia found themselves in a precarious position at 33 for 2.
Two Queenslanders, Khawaja and Labuschagne, put up 61 in just under 15 overs, which was a counterattack. After his early reprieve, the former in particular broke loose, hitting 35 off the following 27 balls as England’s discipline crumbled. Australia regained control after the ball went everywhere but where they wanted it to.
And then there was the collapse inside the collapse. Archer spilt a scarcely dangerous short ball at 134 kph on the first delivery after lunch, and Labuschagne hesitantly pushed it straight to mid-wicket. The new IPL billionaire Cameron Green walked back for a two-ball duck after Carse had a much better chance at the same location two balls later. Australia needed saving when they were 94 for 4 on a pitch that was giving nothing.
Khawaja and Carey supplied it. The two left-handers combined for 91, with Carey taking aim at Josh Tongue’s misbehaviour and Khawaja gliding to a fifty off 81 balls as England abandoned their strategy against him—the channel line from inside the stumps—for a futile short-ball approach. When a hundred was up for grabs, Khawaja got caught off guard and slog-swept Will Jacks to deep mid-wicket, costing them a century.
However, Carey continued to pound and flick boundaries with ease far into the last session.
After he was dropped on 52, Australia was once again in the lead thanks to Carse’s excellent opportunity in the covers and Josh Inglis’s brilliant display at the other end. In brief. Tongue had Inglis drag one back onto his stumps for 32, and Australia were seven down and still well short of even 300 when Carse set up a leg trap to trap Pat Cummins at short-leg.
Mitchell Starc had different ideas. Refusing to back down, he added a quick fifty with Carey, who achieved a historic home hundred in the process. This was his third Test century and the first by a designated keeper in an Ashes Test since 2017. He has been a wall throughout the series. It was great, calm, just what the circumstances called for. However, he was also softly dismissed, out for 106, top-edging an effort at a slog sweep against Jacks, in keeping with the trend of the day.
India
