Alex Carey's Sparkling Ton Aids The Hosts Bounce Back After An Early English Ashes Charge.

In the wake of that frenzy from the Perth Test as well as Brisbane's pink-ball palooza, a more traditional style of the longest format was witnessed on the turf of the Adelaide ground. For the delighted home crowd, it was a day to enjoy, with their boy Alex Carey delivered a magnificent century on his home ground to help Australia edge the opening day.

However, England, 2-0 down while clinging on in the contest, were entirely disappointed. Ben Stokes had lost what appeared a crucial toss and, though not perfect, his bowlers kept persevering in 35c heat. By the close of play, the Australians had reached 326-8 from 83 overs – a total on the board yet likely below their ambitions after captain Pat Cummins got the choice first thing.

Jofra Archer Leads The Tourist's Fightback.

The standout among the tourists was Jofra Archer. Figures of 3/29 off 16 overs were a strong answer against some of scrutiny that came this past week. Here he clearly led the attack, averaging 88mph (142kph) with the speedometer while providing Stokes a combination of control together with clear threat. Only at the end of play – during a single over with the second new ball – did he look a bit weary.

After bounced out opener Jake Weatherald early on, Archer's first over after lunch accounted for Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green in the space of three deliveries. The all-rounder's golden duck served as a stark reminder that cricket can bring even a celebrated player back down to earth, coming from weak chip to the mid-wicket fielder occurring barely 24 hours after securing a massive £1.5m contract for the upcoming IPL.

Carey's Invaluable Contribution Steadies The Ship.

Alex Carey's performance, in contrast, was simply invaluable, peaking around 4.48pm when he drove Stokes through cover for three runs and the crowd rose in a huge roar. Fresh from that virtuoso outing with the gloves at the Gabba, the left-hander's counterattacking 106 off 143 balls made sure 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 nowadays.

Australia did leave some runs out there, however. Gone was the pronounced pace and bounce of the first two Tests replaced by only a fraction of nibble if the right area was hit.

The pitch also offered some turn for off-spinner Will Jacks, although his consistency was typical of a part-timer – hence expensive figures of 2/105 off his 20 overs – and the balls that did to misbehave will give hope to Australia's own spinner, Nathan Lyon.

Solemn Context and A Late Team Change.

This was always going to be an emotional day for the host nation, arriving so shortly after the horrific terrorist attack at Bondi. The minute’s silence before the first ball was immaculately held, broken only by folk singer John Williams performing an emotional version of the anthem 'True Blue'.

Earlier, Australia had also been forced into an alteration from their stated starting eleven. Veteran batsman Steve Smith pulled out after reporting feeling dizzy along with sickness in the morning – an apparent recurrence of a vertigo issue which has intermittently affected him since being felled by Archer at Lord's years back.

His place was taken by Usman Khawaja, just 24 hours after many felt his Test career could be over. Until the wicketkeeper's heroics, the left-hander had expertly held the innings steady, coming to the crease with the score on 33 for two and finessing 82 off 126 balls just a day from his 39th birthday. Partnerships worth 61 runs with Marnus Labuschagne plus another of 91 with Carey were significant.

England's Mixed Bag Continues.

Aside from Archer's efforts, and despite the energy-sapping heat, this was still another frustrating outing from England’s attack. Seamer Brydon Carse somewhat continued his inconsistent form from the first two Tests, finishing with figures of 2/70 off his 13 overs, while the incoming Josh Tongue claimed 1/63 from 15 overs.

Carse looked all over the shop when tasked with sharing the new cherry early on, overstepping on five occasions yet removing Travis Head for just 10 runs thanks to a sublime catch by Zak Crawley in the covers. This moment encapsulated the day's play for both teams: moments of brilliance mixed with some sloppy cricket.