Adelaide: Alex Carey scored his first Ashes century on home soil and Usman Khawaja hit a crucial 82 to rescue Australia as the England bowlers toiled at the Adelaide Oval cauldron on the first day of the third Test on Wednesday.
The wicketkeeper’s 106 took Australia to 326 for 8 at stumps, with Mitchell Starc (33 not out) and Nathan Lyon not out in 18 balls providing stubborn tail-end resistance.
Carey escaped a caught-back finish on 72 with the help of a glitch in review technology before scoring his third Test century.
In a tribute to his father, who died of leukemia in September, Carey raised his bat and head to the sky in front of a large family crowd in his home stadium of 56,298 sellouts.
“To score a century in front of the home fans and family is very special, you know why I’m looking at the sky,” he said.
“I’ll try not to tear up. It’s a great moment.
“Dad played a huge role in my cricket, trained me all the way, released me when I reached my teenage years, but (he) always fired a message of ‘reverse sweep away'”.
Carey was supported by Usman Khawaja, who took advantage of his late inclusion in place of the ailing Steve Smith, with a 126-ball 82.
The pair combined for a crucial 91-run stand that pulled the hosts out of danger after being reduced to 94 for 4 straight after lunch.
Trailing 2-0 in the series, England’s hopes of keeping the Ashes series alive suffered an early setback when home skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and put his side to bat on a solid wicket to pray for a big score.
At stumps, with the temperature still hovering around 35 degrees Celsius (95F), England’s prospects looked bleak after Carey and Starc took the hosts past 300.
With the second day expected to hit 39 degrees, the tourists will be keen to take wickets early in the morning and avoid another punishing day at the stadium.
Again, England had moments of ascendance but could not take their chances.
Khawaja was the main beneficiary, bowled by Harry Brook for 3 at second slip, with a thick edge off the bowling of recalled fast bowler Josh Dungu.
A diving Brayden Carz gave Carey a tough chance to get rid of him for 52 as he smashed Archer into the covers.
Captain Ben Stokes tried to dismiss Carey after two criticisms of England, first an lbw when he was on 52 and then a catch-back appeal off the bowling of recalled seamer Josh Dungu.
Carey admitted that he might have “feathered” the ball, but the noise picked up by the “snego” technology did not match the ball traveling with the bat when replaying the delivery, so the decision stood.
England bowling coach David Seger said the tourists were tough.
“The boys were very confident and he hit it,” Shekhar told reporters. “Those results hurt.”
Wednesday’s cheer for Carey comes two years after he became the villain of the 2023 Ashes series for knocking down Jonny Bairstow’s stumps in a controversial run-out during the second Test at Lord’s.
Eventually he tried to slow-sweep the spin of Will Jacks and was caught for 106, sending a top-edge high.
Despite the taxing weather conditions, the soft batting pattern that buoyed England continued.
Australia openers Travis Head (10) and Jake Weatherold (18) both fell cheaply in a six-ball blast before the first drinks break.
A driving head caught for 10 off seamer Kars, Zach Crawley dived to his left at short cover to pluck a brilliant one-hander over the grass.
Weatherold fell trying to pull a sizzling Jofra Archer bouncer, gifting an easy catch behind the wicket.
Khawaja and Labuschagne took Australia to 94 for 2 at lunch, but Labuschagne and new batsman Cameron Green took their wickets in three balls after the break.
Both were caught at midwicket by Archer in almost identical dismissals.