Wicketkeeper Alex Carey's Stunning Century Helps The Hosts Recover From A Swift English Test Series Onslaught.

In the wake of that chaos of Perth as well as Brisbane's pink-ball spectacle, a more traditional style of red-ball cricket was witnessed on the turf of the Adelaide ground. For the locals, it was one to cherish, as their boy Alex Carey produced a sparkling century on his home turf as Australia the home side edge day one.

Not that England, 2-0 down while still fighting in this series, were too disappointed. Skipper Ben Stokes had lost what seemed like an ominous coin toss and, despite being far from at their best, his bowlers kept toiling in 35c conditions. At stumps, the Australians had reached 326 for eight off 83 overs bowled – a total on the board yet likely below their ambitions when captain Pat Cummins got the toss in the morning.

The Pace of Archer Leads The Tourist's Resistance.

The standout for England proved to be Jofra Archer. Returning figures of three for 29 off his 16 overs were a strong response against the scrutiny directed at him this past week. Here he clearly spearheaded the bowling unit, averaging 88mph (142kph) with the speedometer and offering his captain a combination of accuracy together with obvious threat. It was only towards the very end of play – one over using the second new ball – that he appeared a bit weary.

After bounced out opener Jake Weatherald first thing, the fast bowler's first over post-lunch wiped out Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green in the space of three deliveries. The all-rounder's duck was a stark reminder that cricket can bring even a celebrated player back to reality, his tepid chip to mid-wicket occurring less than a day after securing a massive £1.5m contract in the Indian Premier League.

Carey's Priceless Innings Rescues The Ship.

Carey's day, in contrast, was simply invaluable, peaking at 4.48pm when he elegantly drove Ben Stokes through cover for three and the crowd to rise in a huge roar. Coming off his virtuoso display behind the stumps at the Gabba, the left-hander's counterattacking 106 runs from 143 balls ensured that a post-lunch wobble of 94/4 failed to develop into a complete collapse. At 34, Carey is a genuinely Test match player these days.

Australia did leave some potential runs on the field, however. Absent was the excessive pace and bounce of the opening matches and in its place only a fraction of seam movement when the right area was located.

The pitch also offered a bit of turn for off-spinner Will Jacks, even if his control was typical of a part-time spinner – hence expensive figures of two for 105 from 20 overs – and the balls he did get to misbehave will encourage Nathan Lyon.

Solemn Context with A Late Team Change.

This was always going to be a poignant occasion for Australia, arriving so soon in the wake of the horrific tragic incident at Bondi. The minute’s silence observed before the start of play was perfectly held, followed by musician a rendition delivering a stirring rendition of 'True Blue'.

Earlier, Australia were also compelled to make a change to their announced XI. Steve Smith pulled out due to feeling dizzy along with sickness first thing – an apparent recurrence of the vertigo that has intermittently affected the star batter ever since he was struck by a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord’s six years ago.

His place was taken by Usman Khawaja, a day after it was speculated his Test career could be finished. Until the wicketkeeper's heroics, the left-hander had held the innings steady, walking out with the score on 33 for two before finessing a fine 82 from 126 balls a day out before his 39th birthday. Partnerships of 61 with Labuschagne and 91 runs with Alex Carey were significant.

The Tourist's Frustration Continues.

Aside from Archer's efforts, and despite the sapping heat, it remained still another frustrating day for England’s attack. Seamer Brydon Carse rather rolled over his inconsistent form from the first two Tests, picking up two for 70 off his 13 overs, while the recalled Josh Tongue claimed 1/63 in 15 overs.

Carse was all over the shop when tasked with sharing the new ball first thing, overstepping five times but still dismissing Travis Head for 10 thanks to a sublime one-handed catch from Zak Crawley at cover. It rather encapsulated the day's play for both sides: brilliance mixed with some error-prone cricket.