Adelaide is a frightful tease. In the days of Les Burdett you won the toss, made five or six hundred, and settled down to attempt to prise out the enemy. It might turn on day five, or it might not. These days it is a different kettle of ballgame. With baking heat forecast, a goodly carpet of grass was allowed to bloom. There would be something in it before lunch for the bowlers. Australia won the toss, and England served up a curious bouquet of doubtful offerings. Archer bent his back and bowled fast, though too short. Carse bowled an appalling selection of chaff, duly punished by Wetherald. Was there any method in the madness? Perhaps there was. Wetherald crouches awfully low in his crease, which can affect his ability to play cross-bat strokes. Twice he missed Carse’s long hops. Then Archer bowled short and fast to him; he got himself into a horrible tangle and presented Smith with the simplest of catches.
Thereupon it finally dawned on Carse that maybe he should pitch the ball up to Head. Immediately Head did not quite keep the ball down enough, and Crawley took a fine catch low down. At 2/33 the home side found themselves in crisis. Brisbane notwithstanding, it is becoming apparent that Head is not a Test opener, and needs to return to number five. Josh Tongue at first change bowled fast and accurately. He always does. He induced a wayward flail outside off from Khawaja. The ball flew to Brook at second slip, who grassed it. Khawaja is only playing at all because Smith was ruled out with vertigo. But with the pitch visibly dying already, the imperturbable Usman must have breathed a small sigh of relief, and set about the bowling.
He took his time to get going – as he invariably does – but by lunch he had reached 41 off 55. He and Labuschagne added 61 in brisk time, and at lunch Australia was 2/94. Two overs from Jacks cost 17 as the Aussies helped themselves to his cafeteria offerings. The ugly truth is that Root is a better off-spinner than he is, and Jacks is only really playing to bolster the batting: itself a timid response to some irresponsible swiping in the first two matches. And yet. Just before lunch Jacks did turn one away on a good length. Khawaja was only saved by his soft hands, as the ball fell just short of slip. Nathan Lyon will have taken due note.
The afternoon session began in farce, with both Labuschagne and Green presenting Archer with gift-wrapped early Christmas presents. Two warm-up balls at well below top pace, both meekly spooned to Carse at catching mid-wicket. Carey began as is his wont, and cut a firmly-cut boundary; and he and the sanguine Khawaja attempted to wrest back control of the match. Carse bowled better after lunch, but Tongue lost his line and length and had to be replaced. Then came a long spell in which Stokes toiled away at one end while Jacks haemorrhaged runs at the other. Inexplicably Khawaja essayed a lofted sweep and presented an outfield catch when a century was his for the asking. Nevertheless his 82 had been a godsend to the home side, who had been well and truly caught napping.
The final session was one of frustration for the home side. Inglis came and went with a brisk 32 before failing to note that Tongue’s seam movement is dictated by his extraordinary action (somewhat reminiscent of Max Walker’s tangle of arms and legs) and he will jag the ball back. Captain Pat failed to keep Carse’s in-cutter down and was brilliantly taken by Pope. Even Carey may regret his rush of blood, deceived by Jacks’ slower ball and hitting straight up into the air. Nevertheless his industrious century was magnificent. Only the stalwart Starc stayed at his post, helped in the gloaming by a strokeless Lyon. The decision to drop anchor was sound, inasmuch as the fall of a ninth wicket would trigger an extra half-hour. Australia really wants to bat tomorrow. And they will.
The day was narrowly England’s. They persisted against the odds and watched Australia’s batsmen get in, and get themselves out. Archer? 16/5/29/3 flattered him only a little. He was a constant menace, and the home side wisely decided to see him off. The other seamers were exceedingly curate’s egg: good in parts, and horrible elsewhere. Jacks? Twenty overs for 2/106 was testament only to his persistence. He never gave up, and got a little belated reward. The curious incident of the dog in the night-time was the complete absence of Root from the bowling crease. He has dismissed Carey four times in Tests. Yet Stokes persisted with Jacks. And Bashir? England’s premier spinner must wonder why he is even on this tour.