Wicketkeeper Alex Carey's Sparkling Hundred Aids The Hosts Regroup After An Early England Test Series Assault.

Following that chaos from the Perth Test as well as the Gabba's pink-ball palooza, an outbreak of familiar style regarding Test cricket broke out at the Adelaide ground. For the delighted home crowd, it was a day to savour, with their boy the wicketkeeper-batsman produced a sparkling century at his home ground as Australia Australia edge the opening day.

However, The touring English side, trailing 2-0 and still fighting in the contest, were entirely disheartened. Skipper Ben Stokes had lost what seemed like a crucial toss and, despite being not perfect, the English attack kept plugging away in sweltering conditions. By the close of play, the Australians had reached 326 for eight off 83 overs bowled – runs on the board but surely below initial ambitions when Pat Cummins got the toss first thing.

The Pace of Archer Leads England's Resistance.

The most impressive performer among England was Jofra Archer. Returning figures of three for 29 off his 16 overs were a powerful riposte against some of criticism directed at him this past week. Here he clearly led the bowling unit, clocking around 88mph (142kmh) with the speedometer while providing his captain both control and clear threat. It was only towards the very end of play – one over using the second new ball – did he look a bit jaded.

Having dismissed Jake Weatherald first thing, Archer's first over after lunch accounted for Marnus Labuschagne followed by Cameron Green in the space of three deliveries. The all-rounder's duck served as a reminder that this sport can swiftly bring a player back down to earth, his weak chip shot to the mid-wicket fielder arriving barely a day following trousering a record £1.5m deal in the Indian Premier League.

Carey's Priceless Innings Steadies The Innings.

Alex Carey's performance, however, was simply invaluable, peaking at 4.48pm as he elegantly drove Ben Stokes through the covers for three runs which prompted the crowd rose with a roar. Coming off that masterful outing with the gloves at the Gabba, the left-hander's aggressive 106 runs off 143 balls ensured that the mid-innings stumble of 94 for four did not become a complete collapse. At 34, Carey has become a genuinely Test match player nowadays.

The Australian batting lineup did leave some potential runs on the field, though. Gone was the pronounced bounce of the opening matches replaced by only a fraction of nibble when the right area was hit.

There was also a bit of grip for off-spinner Will Jacks, even if his control was that of a part-time spinner – hence figures of two for 105 off his 20 overs – but the deliveries that did to misbehave will encourage Australia's own spinner, Nathan Lyon.

Emotional Backdrop and A Late Switch.

This was inevitably a poignant occasion for the host nation, coming so soon in the wake of a devastating terrorist attack at Bondi. A minute's silence before the start of play was perfectly held, broken only by musician John Williams performing a stirring version of 'True Blue'.

By this stage, the hosts were also compelled to make an alteration to their announced starting eleven. Veteran batsman Steve Smith pulled out after reporting feeling dizzy along with sickness first thing – an apparent return of the vertigo that has periodically troubled him ever since he was struck by a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord's years back.

In came Usman Khawaja, just 24 hours after many felt his international career could be finished. Before the wicketkeeper's arrival, Khawaja had expertly held the innings steady, walking out with the score on 33/2 and finessing a fine 82 off 126 deliveries a day out before turning 39. Stands worth 61 runs with Labuschagne plus another of 91 with Carey were crucial.

England's Mixed Bag Persists.

Aside from Archer's efforts, and notwithstanding the energy-sapping heat, this was still another frustrating 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, and the recalled Josh Tongue picked up 1/63 in 15 overs.

The Durham bowler looked all over the shop when handed sharing the new ball early on, overstepping five times but still removing Travis Head for 10 thanks to a spectacular catch from Zak Crawley in the covers. It rather summed up the day's play for both teams: moments of brilliance mixed with periods of error-prone cricket.