Ashes | Quick Khawaja and Carey ton help Australia end Day 1 even after Archer heroics

Gantavya Adukia

ByGantavya Adukia,SportsCafe Editor

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Australia stitched together a remarkable recovery after being reduced to 94/4 on Day 1 of the third Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval to go into Stumps at 326/8. Usman Khawaja, a last-minute replacement for Steve Smith, scored 82 while Alex Carey registered a ton to foil Jofra Archer's three-fer.

Alex Carey's maiden Ashes ton rescued Australia from 94/4 to help them end Day 1 in Adelaide against England at 326/8

‌Opting to bat first, Australia got off to a resounding start with Travis Head and Jake Weatherald picking on the faltering Brydon Carse with the new ball. The right-arm quick was struck for three boundaries in his third over as the hosts raced past 30, even while Jofra Archer kept things extremely tight from the other end with disciplined lines and lengths. It ultimately needed a 148 clicks rocket from the Barbados-born to startle Weatherald with a bumper and send him packing for 18, five balls before a driving Head fell to Crase courtesy of a one-handed diving blinder from Zak Crawley at short cover to reduce the Kangaroos to 33/2. Nevertheless, Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja buckled in thereafter, the latter showing some signs of rust after being confirmed as Steve Smith's replacement just half an hour before the toss. Just five runs came off the first 28 balls of the stand, and culminated in a thick Khawaja edge flying to second slip but a diving Harry Brook could not hold on. The Aussie veteran responded by unshackling himself with three gorgeous boundaries in quick succession and had made his ay to 41 by Lunch with the team score 94/2.

Archer took the ball in hand again upon resumption and struck with his very first ball when Labuschagne half-heartedly pulled a ball straight to short midwicket, and made it a double whammy two balls later by getting Camerom Green caught at the exact same position to a diving Carse. At 94/4, Australia suddenly found themselves in serious trouble with Alex Carey joining Khawaja. The duo played out another testing period as they absorbed pressure before feasting on the return of Carse and Tongue with boundaries galore as Khawaja brought up a fluent 50. The introduction of Will Jacks only further exacerbated the scoring rate, and Australia seemed bound for a wicketless session when Khawaja inexplicable slog swept a ball straight to deep midwicket to depart for 82. Carey, on the other hand, remained unbeaten on 48 at the break, the score at Tea 194/5.

Josh Inglis at seven carried on with the same tempo of his predecessors as runs continued to flow in the final session and their partnership grew to 59 without much ado. However, Tongue finally break through with an inseamer that cramped Inglis for room and had him chop on, thus exposing the tail with the run tally 244. Pat Cummins put up a sturdy defence upon his return to the Test arena while Carey decided to push the scoring rates even further and the stand had reached 28 when Carse ended the former's stay for 13, the score 271/7. Mitchell Starc's purple patch with bat and ball continued thereafter as he knocked the ball around comfortably along with the occassional boundary, staying put alongside Carey who soon brought up his third Test ton in just 135 deliveries. However, just when Australia seemed to be on the ascendancy, the wicket-keeeper bat top-edged a slog sweep to depart for 106 and hand Jacks a second scalp. Starc and Nathan Lyon saw off the remaining six overs, including three with the new ball, to end the day on 326/8 with Starc unbeaten on 33.

Century!

Nop!

Brilliant!

First WK !

Breathing fire!

🤯

Maiden 100!

Alex carey!

Well played!

Brilliant!

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