Australia's Alex Carey's Stunning Ton Aids The Baggy Greens Regroup From Early England Ashes Charge.

Following that frenzy from the Perth Test and Brisbane's day-night spectacle, a more traditional brand regarding Test cricket broke out at Adelaide Oval. For the delighted South Australian fans, the day proved a day to cherish, with homegrown talent the wicketkeeper-batsman produced a sparkling hundred at his home venue as Australia Australia just shade the opening day.

Not that The touring English side, 2-0 down while clinging on in this series, could be entirely downbeat. Skipper Ben Stokes had lost what appeared a crucial toss and, though far from perfect, his bowlers continued toiling in scorching heat. At stumps, the Australians were 326-8 off 83 overs bowled – runs on the board but surely below their ambitions when Pat Cummins got the toss first thing.

The Pace of Archer Stands Out For England's Fightback.

The most impressive performer for England proved to be Jofra Archer. Returning figures of three for 29 from his 16 overs were a powerful answer against the scrutiny directed at him this past week. On this day he visibly spearheaded the bowling unit, averaging 88mph (142kph) with the speedometer while providing Stokes both accuracy together with obvious threat. It was only towards the very end of play – one over using the second new ball – that he appeared somewhat weary.

After dismissed Jake Weatherald early on, the fast bowler's initial over post-lunch accounted for Marnus Labuschagne followed by Cameron Green in the space of three balls. The all-rounder's golden duck served as a stark reminder of how cricket can swiftly bring even a celebrated player back down to earth, his weak chip to the mid-wicket fielder occurring less than a day after securing a massive £1.5m contract in the Indian Premier League.

Carey's Priceless Contribution Rescues The Innings.

Carey's performance, in contrast, was nothing short of priceless, peaking at 4.48pm when he elegantly drove Ben Stokes through the covers for three which prompted the crowd rose in a huge roar. Coming off his virtuoso display with the gloves in Brisbane, his aggressive 106 runs off 143 balls ensured that a mid-innings stumble of 94 for four failed to develop into a full-blown collapse. At 34, Carey is a genuinely Test match player these days.

The Australian batting lineup undoubtedly left a few potential runs out there, however. Gone was the excessive pace and bounce from the first two Tests and in its place only a fraction of nibble if the right area was located.

There was also a bit of grip for Will Jacks, although his control was that of a part-time spinner – hence expensive figures of two for 105 off his 20 overs – but the deliveries that did to turn sharply will give hope to Nathan Lyon.

Emotional Context with Late Team Change.

The day's play was always going to be a poignant day for Australia, arriving so soon in the wake of a devastating terrorist attack at Bondi. A minute's silence observed prior to the first ball was perfectly observed, broken only by musician John Williams delivering an emotional rendition of the anthem True Blue.

By this stage, the hosts were also forced into an alteration from their announced XI. Steve Smith was withdrawn after reporting feeling dizzy along with nausea first thing – an apparent return of a vertigo issue which has periodically affected him since being felled by a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord's years back.

In came Usman Khawaja, a day after many felt his international career may be over. Until Carey's heroics, Khawaja had held the innings together, coming to the crease with the score on 33/2 before finessing a fine 82 from 126 deliveries just a day before turning 39. Partnerships of 61 with Marnus Labuschagne plus another of 91 runs with Carey were crucial.

The Tourist's Frustration Persists.

Archer aside, and despite the sapping heat, this was still another frustrating day from England’s attack. Brydon Carse somewhat rolled over his form of the first two Tests, picking up two for 70 from his 13 overs, while the recalled Josh Tongue claimed 1/63 from 15 overs.

The Durham bowler was all over the shop when tasked with sharing the new cherry first thing, overstepping on five occasions yet removing Travis Head for just 10 runs thanks to a spectacular one-handed catch from Zak Crawley in the covers. This moment summed up the day's play for both teams: brilliance mixed with some sloppy play.