After the pandemonium of Perth and Brisbane’s pink-ball palooza came a more familiar opening day at Adelaide Oval. It was also roasting hot out in the middle – 35C on the mercury – and when the toss went against Ben Stokes and his embattled England players, they could easily have melted.
Instead, despite some sloppiness and Alex Carey’s magical century on the ground he calls home, the tourists kept plugging away with the fight that Stokes called for at 2-0 down. At stumps Australia were 326 for eight from 83 sapping overs – runs on the heritage-listed scoreboard, granted, but short of ambitions when the returning Pat Cummins got the choice first thing.
Among the reasons diagnosed for England’s precarious position in this Ashes series has been the lack of an attack leader but here one stood up. Jofra Archer’s figures of three for 29 from 16 overs were a strong riposte to some of the criticism this past week: he averaged 88mph on the speed gun, offered Stokes precious control and was a threat to Australia throughout.
There was generosity from the hosts, however. Having bounced out Jake Weatherald first thing, Archer wiped out Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green inside his first three balls after lunch via a couple of tepid chips to midwicket. Green’s duck was also a bump back to earth, less than 24 hours after trousering a £2.06m (A$3m) deal to play in the Indian Premier League.
Carey’s day was comparatively priceless, peaking at 4.48pm when he drove Stokes through the covers for three and the crowd rose with a roar. Fresh from that virtuoso outing with the gloves at the Gabba, his counterattacking 106 from 143 ensured that the early afternoon wobble to 94 for four was not a full-blown crisis. The 34-year-old is a serious cricketer these days.
However, England thought they had removed Carey on 72 when he feathered behind off Josh Tongue, only for it to be given not out. Stokes reviewed but with Snicko showing a spike before any possible impact, the third umpire stayed with the on-field call. Carey later admitted he probably got some bat on it and BBG, the company that owns the technology, released a statement confirming user error was likely to blame.
Tongue did snare a wicket on his first day of overseas Test cricket, Josh Inglis bowled via a limp defensive shot on 32 after tea. But despite some promising deliveries, he and Brydon Carse did not match the excellence of Archer. Carse, who claimed two for 70 from 13, was particularly shoddy with the new ball first thing, overstepping five times and flattered by a sparkling one-handed catch from Zak Crawley at cover that removed Travis Head for 10.
That wicket ushered in the other standout batter for Australia on the day, albeit one who was not supposed to be playing at all. Before the emotional tributes to the victims of the Bondi terrorist attack ahead of play – including a stirring rendition of True Blue by John Williamson – came the news that Steve Smith was ruled out with dizziness and nausea, so Usman Khawaja was back in.
A day short of turning 39, and with many fancying his omission from the XI meant the end of his international career, Khawaja finessed a classy 82 from 126 balls, flicking and guiding 10 fours along the way. Having walked out at 33 for two in the 10th over, the left-hander’s calming experience anchored stands of 61 with Labuschagne then 91 alongside Carey.
That said, England should have removed Khawaja on five when Harry Brook grassed a diving catch at second slip. It was a poor miss given the batter-friendly conditions. Gone was the bounce of the first two Tests, just a bit of nibble when seamers found the right length. From the outset it was clear that fewer chances would be flying to the cordon in this match.
There was a bit of grip for Will Jacks to work with and, though figures of two for 105 from 20 overs underlined the struggle for control of his length, the all-rounder managed to remove Khawaja and Carey. The balls that did misbehave will only have encouraged Nathan Lyon on his return to Australia’s attack, however, and England’s left-handers are likely to be challenged.
Perhaps they can take a leaf out of Carey’s book, the wicketkeeper having defended with certainty, used the slog sweep well, and put the odd one that beat him out of his mind. This is the South Australian’s backyard, of course, and more broadly he showed the value in targeting the shorter square boundaries, driving and cutting with laser-like precision.
Carey also got some valuable support from Mitchell Starc, who, after Carse removed Cummins for 13 in the evening session, put on 50 for the eighth wicket and was unbeaten on 33 at stumps. This third Test at Australia’s most attractive ground may have a different feel to the first two but Starc being an impediment to England’s progress remains a consistent theme.
