Following that chaos from the Perth Test as well as Brisbane's day-night palooza, a more traditional style regarding the longest format was witnessed on the turf of the Adelaide ground. For the delighted home crowd, it was one to cherish, as their boy Alex Carey produced a sparkling hundred at his home turf as Australia the home side just shade day one.
Not that The touring English side, 2-0 down and clinging on in the series, could be too downbeat. Ben Stokes had lost what seemed like a crucial toss and, despite being far from at their best, his bowlers kept plugging away under sweltering heat. By the close of play, the Australians were 326-8 from 83 overs bowled – runs on the board but surely below initial ambitions when captain Pat Cummins won the toss in the morning.
The standout among England was Jofra Archer. Returning figures of 3/29 off his 16 overs constituted a powerful answer against the scrutiny directed at him his way. Here he clearly spearheaded the attack, averaging 88mph (142kph) on the speed gun while providing Stokes both accuracy together with obvious menace. It was only towards the end of play – during a single over using the fresh cherry – that he appeared a bit jaded.
Having bounced out Jake Weatherald first thing, the fast bowler's first over after lunch accounted for Marnus Labuschagne followed by Cameron Green in the space of three deliveries. Green's duck served as a stark reminder that cricket can swiftly bring even a celebrated player back down to earth, his weak chip shot to the mid-wicket fielder arriving barely 24 hours after securing a record multi-million dollar deal for the upcoming IPL.
Carey's day, in contrast, was nothing short of priceless, culminating around 4.48pm as he elegantly drove Ben Stokes through the covers for three which prompted the Adelaide faithful rose with a roar. Fresh from his masterful display behind the stumps in Brisbane, his counterattacking 106 runs from 143 balls made sure that a post-lunch wobble to 94 for four failed to develop into a full-blown crisis. At 34, Carey has become a genuinely Test match player these days.
Australia did leave a few runs on the field, however. Gone was the excessive bounce from the opening matches and in its place just a hint of seam movement when a good length was located.
The pitch also offered some grip for off-spinner Will Jacks, although his consistency was typical of a part-timer – hence figures of two for 105 from 20 overs – but the deliveries that did to misbehave will encourage Australia's own spinner, Nathan Lyon.
This was inevitably a poignant day for the host nation, arriving so soon in the wake of the horrific tragic incident at Bondi. The minute’s silence prior to the start of play was immaculately held, followed by folk singer a rendition delivering an emotional version of the anthem 'True Blue'.
By this stage, the hosts were also compelled to make an alteration from their announced XI. Veteran batsman Steve Smith pulled out due to feeling dizzy along with sickness first thing – seemingly recurrence of a vertigo issue that has intermittently affected the star batter ever since being felled by a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord’s six years ago.
His place was taken by Usman Khawaja, a day after many felt his international career may be over. Before the wicketkeeper's arrival, the left-hander had held the Australian innings together, walking out with the score on 33 for two before finessing 82 from 126 deliveries just a day from his 39th birthday. Partnerships worth 61 runs with Labuschagne and 91 runs with Carey were significant.
Aside from Archer's efforts, and notwithstanding the energy-sapping heat, this was yet another frustrating outing for England’s attack. Seamer Brydon Carse rather continued his form from the first two Tests, finishing with two for 70 from his 13 overs, and the recalled Josh Tongue claimed one for 63 from 15 overs.
The Durham bowler looked erratic when handed sharing the duty of the new cherry early on, no-balling on five occasions yet removing Travis Head for 10 thanks to a spectacular catch from Zak Crawley in the covers. This moment encapsulated the day for both sides: brilliance mixed with some error-prone play.
