On a scorching opening day at Adelaide Oval, the 2025 Ashes Series third Test delivered raw theatre and hard truths as Australia closed on 326 for 8, led by an emotional Alex Carey hundred and reshaped by a dramatic late change that saw Steve Smith ruled out with illness and Usman Khawaja recalled at the toss.
Carey, born and bred in South Australia, rose above the heat and the pressure to craft a majestic 106, a first Ashes hundred on his home ground that he dedicated to his late father in a moment that stilled a crowd of 56,298, the biggest cricket attendance the venue has ever seen.
England were hardened by the furnace as well, Jofra Archer snarling to 3 for 29 and the visiting attack refusing to buckle even as the day tipped toward Australia, yet once more the pivotal moments slid away from Ben Stokes and his men.
Day one drama at Adelaide Oval
Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bat as temperatures nudged 36 Celsius, then came the twist, Smith, a pillar of Australia’s order, felt unwell and withdrew moments before the toss, a decision that opened the door for Usman Khawaja to stride back into the XI and anchor the innings with a defiant 82.
Jake Weatherald offered early spark with 18 from 27 balls before Archer went short, found the top edge, and Jamie Smith did the rest behind the stumps, a warning shot that England had brought bite as well as bruises.
Travis Head flickered, then Brydon Carse induced a sharp chance that Zak Crawley gobbled low to his left, and when Archer uncorked a blistering over after lunch to remove Marnus Labuschagne first ball and Cameron Green two deliveries later, Australia were suddenly 94 for 4 and wobbling.
Carey’s moment of grace and grit
Carey steadied as the day lengthened, first with Josh Inglis, then with his captain, and finally with Mitchell Starc, constructing an innings that balanced soft hands with crisp drives, eight fours and a soaring six, and a celebration to the heavens for his father Gordon, who passed away in September.
“To make a hundred here in front of home fans and family was special,” Carey told Australian TV, and his voice cracked as he added, “I guess you know as well why I was looking to the heavens,” a window into a player who batted for something bigger than the score.
England had chances, Carse shelled a difficult one when Carey was on 52, and the wicketkeeper made that life count before top edging a Will Jacks delivery to Jamie Smith on the cusp of stumps, a late strike that kept the visitors in the contest.
How Australia reshaped on the fly
Selection had seemed settled on the eve of the match, Cummins and Nathan Lyon were back, and Smith, named at four, was set to steer the batting, then illness intervened and the plan shifted, Khawaja was parachuted in and responded with stoic run making after being overlooked as an opener 24 hours earlier.
Mitchell Starc closed unbeaten on 33 with Lyon yet to score, and with Cummins back to full fitness, he said he could “go and play like any other test match,” a mark that the captain’s back is right and his intent is clear.
Before play, Cummins praised the series’ edge and Steve Smith’s stand-in leadership during his absence, he framed the mood neatly, “It has been fantastic to watch, captivating every session,” and Australia’s bowling attack, with Lyon restored alongside Starc and Scott Boland, looks balanced again.
England’s fight, Archer’s fire, and a test of resolve
England’s bowling coach David Saker lauded the effort in the heat, “I thought it was a good performance from our bowlers, the heat took us a bit by surprise,” he said, before adding that Archer “sustained his pace and bowled at the stumps,” a nod to the spearhead’s relentless line.
There were bright spells from Josh Tongue and Carse, Tongue pinned Inglis late and Carse prised out Cummins, but as England have found all tour, the margins are razor thin, a dropped catch here, a miscued fielding moment there, and the day tilts away.
It echoed the theme Stokes hammered after Brisbane, that his side had crumbled in pressure moments and needed to toughen up, the challenge is not technical alone, it is the repeatable skill of closing out sessions that decide Test matches.
Brook’s realism and the batting reckoning
Harry Brook did not hide from the mirror, he called two of his earlier dismissals in Perth and Brisbane “shocking shots,” and accepted that in Adelaide he may need to “rein it in a little bit,” words that capture a talented player learning the tempo of Australian pitches and the discipline of long-form cricket.
“The one in Brisbane, I have tried to hit for six,” Brook said, before admitting he could have worked it for one and reset, a small tactical change that can shape sessions and tilt pressure back onto the bowlers when the heat rises.
Coach Brendon McCullum remains unrepentant about the broader mindset, “We are a massive chance in this Test match,” he said, and insisted that if England land a blow in Adelaide then “the narrative changes in the series,” belief is the first ingredient, but execution must follow.
Australia warn against complacency
Cameron Green offered a sober reminder from inside the home dressing room, the memory of 2023 still fresh, when Australia went 2-0 up in England and finished with a drawn series, “That is a good reminder for our team to stay really level,” he said, a mantra for a side trying to seal an Ashes on home soil.
Glenn McGrath sounded the old fast bowler’s drum, he urged Australia not to relax, “They have England by the throat and must not let up,” and pushed the bar higher still, “this team should be thinking about winning 5-0,” ambition is oxygen in this rivalry.
Tim Paine added a nuanced caution, he argued that Adelaide’s shorter boundaries and flat pitch might suit England’s gung ho batting more than most grounds in the country, a hint that the door is ajar if Stokes’s side can survive early movement and cash in later.
Selection subplots and the human edge
England arrived in Adelaide searching for combinations that stick, Mark Wood was injured, Josh Tongue came into the conversation and then into the XI, spin pointed toward Will Jacks, and the top seven was kept intact with Ollie Pope at three, continuity in theory, clarity under examination.
On the other side of the dance, Australia initially left out Khawaja with Travis Head and Weatherald set to open, then Smith’s illness changed that plan, and Khawaja, 39 this week, rebuilt with care after being dropped early on five by Brook at second slip.
There was a poignant unity before a ball was bowled, both teams wore black armbands and observed a minute of silence in respect for the victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting, a reminder that sport carries the weight of public grief as well as joy.
The stakes and the story of the series
Australia lead 2-0 after eight wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane, they will retain the Ashes with a win or a draw in Adelaide, the broader picture is stark for England, no win in Australia since 2010 to 2011 and a run of 17 Tests without success on these shores.
History offers one improbable path, only once has a team come back from 0-2 to win the Ashes, Don Bradman drove that 1936 to 1937 miracle, the modern England have been accused of irresponsibility by Geoffrey Boycott, who listed batting errors, loose bowling lengths, and dropped catches.
Alastair Cook believes the moment demands blunt truths, he suggested Stokes will “read the riot act,” that leadership is about standards as much as sentiments, and this week will test both.
Key moments from day one
- Archer’s thunderbolt over after lunch removed Labuschagne and Green, swinging momentum back England’s way,
- Khawaja survived an early drop then compiled a gritty 82 that steadied Australia,
- Carey reached a home ground Ashes hundred with family in tears in the stands, a tribute to his late father.
What England must do next
The first hour of day two is a stress test for England, they need Starc or Lyon early, keep Australia to a manageable total, then clear their heads for a batting effort built on patience and strike rotation rather than a burst of sixes.
Archer has set a tone with his lines, Tongue and Carse have found avenues as well, the question is whether England’s top order can match that discipline, leave well, punish errors, and move past the recurring stumbles that have defined the tour.
Brook’s self assessment speaks to the blueprint, rein in at times, back options that keep risk low, then cash in when the bowlers miss, this ground can reward that tempo if England absorb early pressure and lean on partnerships rather than hero shots.
What it means for Australia
For Australia, the platform is solid without being decisive, if Starc farms the strike and Lyon hangs in, a score above 350 beckons, and with Cummins and Starc fresh, plus Lyon’s guile back in harness, they will believe they can crack open England under the afternoon sun.
Carey’s hundred has already tilted the axis of the match, the home side have felt both fragility and resolve in one day, the lesson will not be lost, seize the sessions that matter, and do not leave the door ajar.
Green’s calm perspective frames the path, finish the job, nothing more, nothing less, keep the mood level and the plans simple, that is how series are sealed.
Voices that frame the contest
“We are a massive chance in this Test match. We do that, and the narrative changes in the series.” Brendon McCullum
“That is a good reminder for our team to stay really level, stay as good as we can be and finish it off.” Cameron Green
“They have England by the throat and must not let up, this team should be thinking about winning 5-0.” Glenn McGrath
“I will be the first person to stand up and say that they were bad shots, I do not regret them, but if I was there again, I would try and play it slightly differently.” Harry Brook
The heart of Adelaide and the human story
Great Tests are more than scorecards, they are stitched with human threads, a father remembered in a century celebration, a veteran recalled at the last minute to fight for his place, a young quick announcing he is back with a midday burst that rattled stumps and beliefs.
That is why this third Test already feels like a hinge in the 2025 Ashes, the heat, the noise, the slips of concentration that become headlines, the day finished with Australia ahead, but not out of sight, and with the series on the line, the next hour could redraw the whole picture.
As the sun rises again over the Riverbank Stand, the equation is simple, Australia chase daylight and a decisive lead, England chase resolve and a chance to keep the urn alive, the stage has been set by Carey’s composure and Archer’s fire, now it is time for batters to own the story.
