Australia's Alex Carey's Stunning Century Helps Australia Regroup After An Early England Ashes Onslaught.

After the frenzy of the Perth Test as well as the Gabba's pink-ball spectacle, a more familiar brand regarding Test cricket returned on the turf of Adelaide Oval. For the South Australian fans, it was a day to cherish, as their boy Alex Carey notched up a magnificent century on his home ground as Australia the home side just shade the first day's play.

Not that The touring English side, trailing 2-0 and clinging on in this contest, could be entirely downbeat. Skipper Ben Stokes had lost what seemed like an ominous toss and, despite being not at their best, the English attack continued persevering under sweltering conditions. At stumps, the Australians had reached 326 for eight from 83 overs – runs on the board yet likely short of initial expectations when captain Pat Cummins won the toss in the morning.

Jofra Archer Stands Out For England's Effort.

The standout among England proved to be Jofra Archer. Returning figures of three for 29 off his 16 overs were a powerful answer against some of criticism that came his way. On this day he visibly led the attack, averaging around 88mph (142kph) with the speed gun while providing his captain both accuracy together with obvious threat. Only at the end of play – one over using the second new ball – did he look somewhat weary.

After bounced out Jake Weatherald early on, Archer's first over after lunch accounted for Marnus Labuschagne followed by Cameron Green within just three deliveries. Green's golden duck served as a reminder that this sport can bring a player back to reality, coming from tepid chip shot to the mid-wicket fielder arriving barely a day following securing a massive £1.5m contract for the upcoming IPL.

Carey's Invaluable Contribution Rescues The Ship.

Alex Carey's day, however, was simply priceless, culminating at late afternoon when he drove Stokes through the covers for three and the Adelaide faithful to rise in a huge roar. Coming off his virtuoso outing behind the stumps at the Gabba, the left-hander's aggressive 106 runs from 143 deliveries ensured that the post-lunch wobble to 94 for four failed to develop into a full-blown collapse. At 34, Carey has become a genuinely Test match player nowadays.

The Australian batting lineup did leave some runs on the field, though. Gone was that pronounced bounce from the opening matches and in its place just a hint of nibble when a good length was hit.

The pitch also offered a bit of grip to Will Jacks, even if his consistency was that of a part-time spinner – resulting in expensive figures of 2/105 off his 20 overs – but the deliveries that did to turn sharply will give hope to Australia's own spinner, Nathan Lyon.

Solemn Backdrop and Late Switch.

This was inevitably an emotional occasion for the host nation, coming so shortly after the horrific tragic incident in Bondi. A minute's silence before the first ball was immaculately observed, broken only by musician John Williams performing a stirring version of the anthem 'True Blue'.

By this stage, the hosts had also been compelled to make a change to their stated starting eleven. Veteran batsman Steve Smith pulled out after reporting dizziness and nausea in the morning – an apparent recurrence of the vertigo which has intermittently troubled the star batter ever since he was struck by a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord’s years back.

His place was taken by Usman Khawaja, a day after many felt his Test career could be finished. Until Carey's arrival, the left-hander had expertly held the innings steady, coming to the crease with the score on 33 for two and finessing a fine 82 from 126 deliveries just a day from his 39th birthday. Partnerships of 61 with Marnus Labuschagne and 91 runs with Carey proved significant.

The Tourist's Mixed Bag Persists.

Archer aside, and notwithstanding the sapping heat, this was still another disappointing outing from the English bowling attack. Brydon Carse rather rolled over his form of the first two Tests, finishing with two for 70 from 13 overs, while the incoming Josh Tongue picked up 1/63 from 15 overs.

The Durham bowler was erratic when tasked with sharing the duty of the new ball first thing, no-balling five times but still dismissing Travis Head for 10 thanks to a sublime catch from Zak Crawley at cover. It rather encapsulated the day for both sides: moments of brilliance interspersed with periods of error-prone cricket.