Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey produced a batting masterclass on his home ground to give the hosts a strong start on the opening day of the third Ashes Test, as they reached 326/8 at stumps at the Adelaide Oval.
After an early collapse that left Australia reeling at 94/4, Carey, along with late inclusion Usman Khawaja, stitched together a crucial 91-run stand for the fifth wicket to steady the innings. The 38-year-old left-hander was eventually dismissed for 82 but played a vital role after being pushed down the batting order, striking several leg-side boundaries and reaching 41 by lunch.
Steve Smith was ruled out of the third Test due to a potential vestibular issue. His last-minute withdrawal paved the way for Khawaja’s return to the XI after he missed the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane.
The stand-in captain for the first two Tests of this Ashes series had been suffering from nausea and dizziness and missed training on Monday. Although he returned to bat in the nets on Tuesday morning, Smith underwent a brief fitness test on Wednesday before holding an intense discussion with head coach Andrew McDonald and skipper Pat Cummins, after which a final call was taken on his availability.
Khawaja made the most of his opportunity, bringing up his 24th Test half-century. He capitalised on an early reprieve when Harry Brook dropped him on five and went on to anchor the innings before being dismissed by Will Jacks while attempting a sweep to deep square leg just before tea.
Despite wickets falling at the other end, Carey held firm to register his third Test century and his first in front of his home crowd. The milestone was particularly emotional as Carey looked skywards in tribute to his late father, who passed away in September after battling leukaemia. The 34-year-old also became Australia’s leading run-scorer in Tests this year, surpassing Steve Smith’s tally of 618 runs and moving to sixth overall among the top run-getters in the format this year.
Josh Inglis showed attacking intent during his stay but was bowled for 32, which included four boundaries. He remains doubtful for the Boxing Day Test once Smith returns to the XI.
Carey’s innings ended via an unfortunate top edge as he was dismissed for 106, but Australia’s lower order continued to frustrate England. Mitchell Starc, the standout performer in the first two Tests, remained unbeaten on 32, adding valuable runs alongside Nathan Lyon (0*), who showed solid defensive technique.
Earlier, Jake Weatherald and Travis Head gave Australia a brisk start, racing to 29 without loss in the first six overs. However, Head was brilliantly caught by Zak Crawley at cover for 10, while Weatherald edged behind for 18. Marnus Labuschagne once again made a promising start, but Jofra Archer struck in a double-wicket over, removing both Labuschagne and Cameron Green, who registered his second duck of the series.
Archer was England’s most effective bowler, finishing with figures of 3/29 from 16 overs. Brydon Carse and Will Jacks claimed two wickets apiece, while Josh Tongue accounted for Inglis.
Brief scores: Australia 326/8 (Alex Carey 106, Usman Khawaja 82; Jofra Archer 3/29) vs England
-IANS
