Alex Carey struck a memorable hometown century while Usman Khawaja marked a dramatic late recall with a composed 82, guiding Australia to 326 for eight at stumps on a scorching opening day of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide.

England kept themselves in the contest through Jofra Archer’s incisive spell and timely breakthroughs from spinner Will Jacks, but Carey’s calm authority ensured Australia scored at a healthy rate of around four runs an over in batting-friendly conditions.

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Archer finished with 3 for 29, including two wickets in three balls immediately after lunch, while Jacks claimed the scalps of Australia’s two top scorers. Despite those blows, Carey anchored the innings with partnerships of 91 with Khawaja, 59 with Josh Inglis, 26 with captain Pat Cummins and a crucial 50 with Mitchell Starc. The wicketkeeper-batter eventually fell for 106 late in the day, mistiming a slower delivery from Jacks.

Starc, who was named player of the match in both the first and second Tests, continued his rich vein of form and remained unbeaten on 33 at stumps.

Temperatures soared past 35°C on day one and are expected to approach 40°C on day two, adding another layer of challenge for both sides. A record crowd of 56,298 at the Adelaide Oval lifted Carey, who revelled in scoring a century in front of home supporters.

“It was a decent day’s cricket,” Carey said. “The crowd here in Adelaide is pretty special. To score a hundred in front of family and home fans is something I’ll always remember.”

Usman Khawaja shines after last-minute recall

Australia were forced into a late change when stand-in captain Steve Smith was ruled out after failing to recover from dizziness and nausea, paving the way for Khawaja’s return to the XI on the eve of his 39th birthday.

After winning the toss, Cummins chose to bat in his first Test since returning from a back injury. Australia’s new opening pair of Travis Head and Jake Weatherald made a steady start before Archer struck, hurrying Weatherald with a sharp short ball that resulted in a top edge and a simple catch behind.

Brydon Carse struck in the following over as Head edged a drive and was brilliantly caught by Zak Crawley at short cover, leaving Australia two down early. Khawaja survived a scare on five when Harry Brook spilled a catch at second slip before settling into valuable partnerships with Marnus Labuschagne and Carey. His innings ended when he slog-swept Jacks straight to Josh Tongue in the deep late in the middle session.

Both teams wore black armbands in memory of the 15 people killed in an antisemitic attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday. Flags flew at half-staff, and the pre-match ceremony included a moment’s silence, an Indigenous Welcome to Country, the national anthems, and a rendition of True Blue by John Williamson.

(By PTI Inputs)