Australia finished day one on 326/8 with Carey making 106 and Khawaja making 82.
On the opening day of Australia's third Ashes 2025–26 Test match against England, Alex Carey saved the day for the hosts. Australia's captain Pat Cummins won the toss and decided to bat first when the game began on December 17, 2025, at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide.
But Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse had other ideas, dismissing the top three for comparatively cheap scores. Travis Head was dismissed for ten runs by Carse, while Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne were dismissed for eighteen and nineteen, respectively.
Usman Khawaja, who was able to play this Test due to Steve Smith's illness, hit an incredible 82 with 10 fours, but Cameron Green shortly followed for a duck.
However, Alex Carey's first Ashes Test century prevented Australia from suffering any more humiliation. At that moment, Australia was 94-4, but Usman Khawaja and Carey added 91 for the fifth wicket. Australia ended day one on 326/8 with Carey making 106 runs.
However, the focus was on the celebration that Alex Carey had after completing his brilliant century. It was his third Test century, his first in an Ashes series. Carey punched the air and looked to the heavens when he reached the milestone as his wife Eloise, sobbed in the stands.
Carey looked towards the sky to dedicate his century to his father, Gordon, who lost his battle with leukemia in September.
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"Probably won't go into too much depth thinking through the reasons why, I'll probably get emotional, but yeah, it was great. Dad played the biggest role, probably in my cricket, coached me all the way through as dads want to do. Sort of let me go once I got into my older teenage years, but would always shoot a message and (say) put the reverse sweep away and keep hard on me,” Carey stated after the end of day one.
"Really, a little bit of a sticky situation there straight after lunch. So to form a partnership with Uzzie (Khawaja), and I guess keep us in the mix (was special). Would love to have scored more runs and be there a bit longer. But to be able to take the helmet off and look up to the heavens, it was a really nice moment,” he added.
(AFP inputs)