Wicketkeeper Alex Carey's Sparkling Century Assists The Hosts Recover After Early English Test Series Onslaught.

In the wake of that chaos of Perth and the Gabba's pink-ball spectacle, a more familiar style of Test cricket returned at Adelaide Oval. For the home crowd, the day proved a day to cherish, with homegrown talent the wicketkeeper-batsman produced a sparkling century on his home venue as Australia the home side just shade the opening day.

Not that England, 2-0 down and still fighting in this contest, were entirely disheartened. Skipper Ben Stokes lost out on what seemed like an ominous coin toss and, though far from at their best, his bowlers kept toiling under scorching heat. At stumps, the Australians were 326-8 off 83 overs bowled – a total on the board yet likely below their expectations after Pat Cummins got the choice in the morning.

The Pace of Archer Leads The Tourist's Effort.

The standout for England proved to be Jofra Archer. Figures of three for 29 off his 16 overs constituted a powerful response against some of scrutiny directed at him this past week. Here he visibly led the attack, clocking 88mph (142kph) on the speed gun and offering Stokes a combination of control and clear menace. It was only towards the end of play – one over with the fresh cherry – did he look a bit weary.

Having bounced out opener Jake Weatherald early on, Archer's initial over after lunch wiped out Marnus Labuschagne followed by Cameron Green within just three balls. Green's golden duck was a reminder of how cricket can bring a player back to reality, coming from weak chip shot to mid-wicket occurring barely a day following securing a record £1.5m deal in the Indian Premier League.

The Keeper's Invaluable Contribution Steadies The Innings.

Alex Carey's performance, in contrast, was nothing short of priceless, culminating around late afternoon as he drove Ben Stokes through cover for three and the Adelaide faithful rose with a roar. Fresh from that masterful outing with the gloves in Brisbane, his counterattacking 106 off 143 deliveries ensured that a mid-innings stumble to 94/4 did not become a full-blown collapse. At 34, Carey is a genuinely Test match player nowadays.

Australia undoubtedly left some runs out there, however. Absent was the pronounced bounce of the first two Tests and in its place just a hint of nibble when the right area was located.

There was also a bit of turn for Will Jacks, although his consistency was that of a part-time spinner – resulting in expensive figures of two for 105 from his 20 overs – and the balls he did get to turn sharply will encourage Australia's own spinner, Nathan Lyon.

Emotional Context and A Late Team Change.

The day's play was inevitably an emotional occasion for Australia, coming so soon in the wake of the horrific tragic incident at Bondi. A minute's silence observed before the first ball was perfectly held, broken only by musician a rendition performing a stirring rendition of the anthem 'True Blue'.

Earlier, Australia had also been forced into an alteration to their stated starting eleven. Steve Smith pulled out after reporting dizziness and sickness first thing – an apparent recurrence of the vertigo which has periodically affected the star batter since he was struck by Archer at Lord’s six years ago.

In came Usman Khawaja, just 24 hours after it was speculated his Test career may be finished. Until the wicketkeeper's arrival, Khawaja had expertly held the innings steady, walking out at 33 for two and finessing 82 from 126 balls just a day from his 39th birthday. Partnerships worth 61 runs with Marnus Labuschagne plus another of 91 runs with Alex Carey proved significant.

England's Mixed Bag Continues.

Aside from Archer's efforts, and despite the sapping heat, it remained still another frustrating outing from England’s attack. Seamer Brydon Carse rather continued his inconsistent form from the first two Tests, picking up figures of 2/70 off 13 overs, while the recalled Josh Tongue claimed 1/63 from 15 overs.

The Durham bowler looked all over the shop when tasked with sharing the new cherry early on, overstepping on five occasions yet removing Travis Head for 10 thanks to a spectacular one-handed catch by Zak Crawley at cover. This moment summed up the day's play for both teams: moments of brilliance interspersed with periods of error-prone cricket.