Wicketkeeper Alex Carey's Brilliant Ton Assists Australia Bounce Back After Early English Ashes Assault.

After the frenzy from the Perth Test and Brisbane's pink-ball spectacle, an outbreak of traditional style of Test cricket was witnessed at Adelaide Oval. For the delighted South Australian fans, the day proved a day to cherish, with their boy the wicketkeeper-batsman produced a magnificent hundred on his home turf to help Australia edge the first day's play.

Not that The touring English side, 2-0 down while clinging on in the contest, were too disheartened. Skipper Ben Stokes lost out on what appeared a significant coin toss and, despite being not perfect, his bowlers kept toiling under sweltering heat. At stumps, Australia were 326-8 from 83 overs bowled – runs on the board but surely below their expectations when Pat Cummins got the choice in the morning.

The Pace of Archer Stands Out For The Tourist's Effort.

The standout among the tourists proved to be Jofra Archer. Figures of 3/29 from his 16 overs constituted a strong answer to some of criticism that came this past week. Here he clearly spearheaded the bowling unit, averaging 88mph (142kmh) with the speedometer while providing his captain both control and clear threat. Only at the very end of the day – one over using the fresh cherry – did he look a bit jaded.

Having dismissed opener Jake Weatherald early on, Archer's first over post-lunch accounted for Marnus Labuschagne followed by Cameron Green in the space of three balls. The all-rounder's duck was a reminder that cricket can swiftly bring even a celebrated player back down to earth, his weak chip shot to the mid-wicket fielder occurring less than 24 hours after securing a record £1.5m contract for the upcoming IPL.

The Keeper's Priceless Innings Rescues The Ship.

Carey's day, in contrast, was simply invaluable, culminating around late afternoon when he drove Stokes through the covers for three and the Adelaide faithful to rise with a roar. Coming off his virtuoso outing with the gloves in Brisbane, his aggressive 106 runs off 143 deliveries made sure that a mid-innings stumble to 94 for four did not become a complete crisis. The 34-year-old has become a serious cricketer nowadays.

Australia did leave some potential runs on the field, though. Absent was the pronounced pace and bounce from the first two Tests and in its place only a fraction of seam movement when the right area was hit.

The pitch also offered some grip to Will Jacks, even if his consistency was typical of a part-timer – hence figures of two for 105 off 20 overs – and the balls he did get to misbehave will encourage Australia's own spinner, Nathan Lyon.

Emotional Context and Late Team Change.

The day's play was always going to be a poignant occasion for Australia, coming so soon in the wake of the horrific tragic incident in Bondi. The minute’s silence prior to the start of play was perfectly held, broken only by folk singer John Williams delivering a stirring rendition of the anthem True Blue.

By this stage, the hosts had also been compelled to make a change to their announced starting eleven. Veteran batsman Steve Smith pulled out after reporting dizziness along with nausea in the morning – seemingly recurrence of a vertigo issue that has periodically troubled him ever since being felled by a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord's six years ago.

In came Usman Khawaja, just 24 hours after it was speculated his Test career may be finished. Before Carey's arrival, Khawaja had expertly held the innings steady, walking out with the score on 33 for two and crafting a fine 82 from 126 balls a day out before turning 39. Partnerships of 61 with Labuschagne plus another of 91 runs with Alex Carey were significant.

The Tourist's Frustration Persists.

Aside from Archer's efforts, and despite the energy-sapping heat, it remained still another disappointing day for England’s attack. Brydon Carse rather continued his inconsistent form from the first two Tests, finishing with figures of 2/70 off 13 overs, while the incoming Josh Tongue claimed 1/63 in 15 overs.

Carse was erratic when handed sharing the new ball early on, no-balling on five occasions yet dismissing Travis Head for just 10 runs thanks to a sublime catch from Zak Crawley in the covers. This moment encapsulated the day for both sides: brilliance interspersed with some sloppy cricket.