Australia's Alex Carey's Brilliant Hundred Helps Australia Recover From A Swift English Test Series Onslaught.

Following the pandemonium of Perth and the Gabba's pink-ball palooza, an outbreak of traditional brand of Test cricket broke out on the turf of the Adelaide ground. For the South Australian fans, the day proved one to cherish, as their boy the wicketkeeper-batsman produced a sparkling hundred at his home turf as Australia the home side just shade the first day's play.

Not that The touring English side, 2-0 down and clinging on in this series, were entirely disheartened. Ben Stokes had lost what appeared an ominous toss and, despite being not perfect, his bowlers continued persevering under scorching heat. At stumps, the Australians had reached 326-8 off 83 overs bowled – runs on the board but surely short of their expectations after captain Pat Cummins won the choice in the morning.

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

The standout for England was Jofra Archer. Figures of 3/29 from 16 overs were a strong riposte against some of criticism directed at him his way. Here he visibly spearheaded the attack, averaging around 88mph (142kph) with the speed gun and offering Stokes both accuracy and obvious threat. It was only towards the very end of the day – one over with the second new ball – that he appeared a bit weary.

After dismissed opener Jake Weatherald early on, Archer's first over post-lunch accounted for Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green in the space of three deliveries. The all-rounder's golden duck was a stark reminder of how cricket can swiftly bring a player back down to earth, his weak chip to mid-wicket occurring less than a day following securing a record multi-million dollar deal for the upcoming IPL.

The Keeper's Priceless Innings Rescues The Innings.

Alex Carey's performance, however, was nothing short of invaluable, culminating around late afternoon when he drove Ben Stokes through cover for three and the Adelaide faithful rose with a roar. Fresh from that masterful outing behind the stumps at the Gabba, his aggressive 106 runs from 143 deliveries ensured that the post-lunch wobble to 94/4 did not become a full-blown crisis. At 34, Carey has become a genuinely Test match player nowadays.

The Australian batting lineup undoubtedly left a few runs on the field, though. Absent was the pronounced 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 grip to off-spinner Will Jacks, although his control was that of a part-timer – hence figures of two for 105 from his 20 overs – and the balls that did to misbehave will give hope to Australia's own spinner, Nathan Lyon.

Emotional Backdrop with A Late Switch.

The day's play was always going to be an emotional occasion for the host nation, arriving so soon after a devastating tragic incident at Bondi. A minute's silence prior to the first ball was perfectly observed, followed by musician John Williams delivering an emotional version of 'True Blue'.

By this stage, the hosts were also forced into an alteration from their stated XI. Veteran batsman Steve Smith pulled out after reporting feeling dizzy and nausea first thing – seemingly return of a vertigo issue which has periodically troubled him since being felled by a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord's six years ago.

His place was taken by Usman Khawaja, just 24 hours after many felt his international career could be over. Until the wicketkeeper's heroics, Khawaja had held the innings steady, walking out with the score on 33/2 and crafting a fine 82 off 126 balls just a day from turning 39. Partnerships of 61 with Marnus Labuschagne and 91 with Alex Carey proved significant.

England's Frustration Continues.

Archer aside, and notwithstanding the sapping heat, it remained still another frustrating day for the English bowling attack. Brydon Carse somewhat continued his form of the first two Tests, finishing with figures of 2/70 from 13 overs, and the incoming Josh Tongue picked up one for 63 in 15 overs.

Carse looked erratic when tasked with sharing the duty of the new ball first thing, no-balling five times yet dismissing Travis Head for just 10 runs thanks to a spectacular catch by Zak Crawley in the covers. This moment encapsulated the day's play for both teams: moments of brilliance interspersed with periods of sloppy cricket.