Stumps: Australia 326 for 8
Australia 326 for 8 (Carey 106, Khawaja 82, Archer 3-29) vs England
Stumps are drawn in Adelaide. It's been a dramatic opening day, from the moment at around 8.45am this morning that it became apparent Steven Smith would miss this Test match with illness and Usman Khawaja would be recalled, less than 24 hours after it seemed that his Test career was over, right through to Alex Carey's emotional century at his home ground in front of 56,298 fans.
Australia have shaded the first day but have been wasteful after winning the toss, losing a series of wickets to soft dismissals, and England will be reasonably happy with a hard day's work underneath the hot South Australian sun. Jofra Archer was the standout bowler - and the only one to exert any real control - while Will Jacks also chipped in with two important wickets, dismissing both Khawaja and Carey.
England will be back in the morning hunting for two final wickets, and it feels like their hopes in this series now depend on a strong batting day tomorrow, with another scorcher expected. This slow surface should suit their style of play, but they haven't managed to last 80 overs yet in the series and only one batter - Joe Root - is averaging more than 30.
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Carey's century moment
"That one is for you dad!"
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2025
A wonderful moment as the hometown hero Alex Carey brings up 100.#Ashes | #PlayoftheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/aEdfwRedz5
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Taufel suggests Snicko malfunction
Should Alex Carey have been given out on 72? Simon Taufel, the respected, former international umpire, suggests as much on Channel 7. England were convinced that Carey had under-edged Josh Tongue behind and reviewed the decision and there was a spike on Snicko, but the ball only passed the bat several frames later.
Here's Taufel's view:
"The DRS was applied and for the third umpire to overturn the not out decision, we need to see a clear deflection off the bat, or we have to see a spike next to the bat or up to one frame past the bat. The confusing element here for everyone was that the spike occurred at least a couple of frames before the bat, which was just amazing.
"What was interesting in this particular case and in my experience, I have never seen a spike like this occur without the bat hitting something like a pad or the ground or the ball hitting the pad. There's nothing else out there, absolutely nothing else out there, so my gut tells me from all of my experience on-field and also as a TV umpire that I think Alex Carey has actually hit that ball and the technology calibration hasn't been quite right to game the outcome that it was looking for.”
The only problem with that, as Alex Malcolm points out, is that there appeared to be daylight between bat and ball, as you can see below. It'll be interesting to hear Carey's own take on it later tonight if he is put up for media duties.
England were convinced that Alex Carey was gone, but what's your take here?#Ashes | #DRSChallenge | @Westpac pic.twitter.com/g7bp7ptQXO
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2025
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Jacks gets Carey
A dreadful shot to end a brilliant innings. Alex Carey lines up a huge slog-sweep off Will Jacks but makes a complete hash of it: all height, no distance, and Jamie Smith runs around towards short leg to settle underneath it. Jacks has a second, and Carey falls with the second new ball just around the corner. Jacks's overspin does the job.
"It's a huge mistake at this time of the day," Michael Vaughan says on Fox's coverage. "2.4 overs remaining until the second new ball."
This has been a strange day, with Australia looking in complete control for long passages but also throwing wickets away at regular intervals. England haven't had to bowl particularly well yet have eight on the first day, after being asked to bowl first.
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Carey gets there!
Three figures for Alex Carey, his first century at Adelaide Oval and only his third overall. He drives Stokes away through the covers, runs three, and looks skywards in a nod to his late father before celebrating and lapping up the crowd's chants of his surname. He was brilliant with the gloves in Brisbane, and has played a vital innings with the bat in his hometown.
Remember, Carey walked in with Australia 94 for 4, having lost two wickets in three balls immediately after lunch. He was dropped on 52 - a half-chance, really, as Brydon Carse dived low to his left at cover - and was struck on the helmet by Jofra Archer, but has otherwise got on top of England with a typical keeper's innings, scoring fluently throughout.
1 Alex Carey is the highest-scoring Test wicketkeeper in the world in the four years since he made his debut.
Carey is only the fourth Australian keeper to score a men's Ashes century, after Ian Healy, Adam Gilchrist and Brad Haddin.
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300 up as Carey closes in
Mitchell Starc has batted with good attacking intent from No. 9 after his rearguard effort in Brisbane, swinging Brydon Carse back down the ground for four twice in three balls. He swings him into the leg side with no timing in his next over, with Will Jacks briefly interested as the ball hung in the air, but Carse has over-stepped in any case. That's his sixth no-ball today, all on front foot.
Alex Carey has been in the 90s for the last five overs, and is only three runs away from what would be his first century at his home ground...
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England's plan works!
Brydon Carse is back into the attack for a third spell, with the leg-side field set for short bowling, and his plan works almost immediately. Ollie Pope is in under the lid at forward short leg, and takes a catch off the fifth ball of Carse's over: the ball takes Pat Cummins' inside edge, thuds into his leg, and loops up for Pope to scoop up. Cummins reviews almost immediately, but there's a spike on Snicko and he has to slink off to the dressing room. Australia 271 for 7, and in real danger of being bowled out tonight.
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Lose toss, win game?
Alex Malcolm: For reference, all three red-ball Sheffield Shield games at Adelaide Oval this season have been won by the side batting second. The first-innings scores in those games have been 350 for 9 declared, 228 and 195. Second-innings scores have been 343 for 9 declared, 426 and 398. Based off that, England on top here.
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Carey survives on review
England were convinced that Alex Carey was gone, but what's your take here?#Ashes | #DRSChallenge | @Westpac pic.twitter.com/g7bp7ptQXO
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2025
England have burned their second review. Josh Tongue was convinced that he had heard a noise as Alex Carey (on 72) looked to slash him away through the off side, but Ahsan Raza was not interested. Ben Stokes reviewed and there was a spike on Snicko, but it came four or five frames before the ball passed the bat, suggesting a different source.
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Tongue breaks through
The partnership is broken! Josh Inglis has looked good for his 32, but chops onto his own stumps facing Josh Tongue. England brought Tongue into their side because of his knack of taking wickets from nowhere, and this is a good example of his best attributes: he gets the old ball to shape back in sharply off the seam from his fall-away action, and Inglis plays on.
It's another fairly soft dismissal on a day filled with them. In walks Pat Cummins at No. 8 for his first bat in a competitive match since July.
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Leaky Jacks
Will Jacks has looked threatening at times today, occasionally beating the bat and finding plenty of turn on a day-one pitch at Adelaide Oval. But he has also conceded nearly a run a ball, and Alex Carey's sixth-wicket partnership with Josh Inglis is now worth more than 50.
"That's the reason he's leaking (runs), look at that. He's bowling short, you can play off the front foot, you can play off the back foot. It's no wonder he's leaking runs like he is."
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 17, 2025
- Justin Langer on Will Jacks' pitch map #Ashes pic.twitter.com/90nLkt2i9F
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Carey on top
619 Alex Carey has overtaken Steven Smith as Australia's leading run-scorer in Tests this year.
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Carse drops Carey
It was barely a half-chance, but Brydon Carse is gutted to have given Alex Carey a life.
Carey reached a 75-ball half-century shortly after tea with a paddle-sweep off Will Jacks, and survived an lbw review after being struck on the pad by Jofra Archer, with Hawk-Eye projecting that the ball would have missed leg stump.
Five balls later, he slapped Archer hard and flat into the off side, and Carse got a hand to it with an athletic diving effort in the covers. But the ball didn't stick, and Carey is reprieved on 52. Carse has already taken two catches today, but his reaction suggests that he thinks it should have been three.
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Tea: Australia 194 for 5
Australia 194 for 5 (Khawaja 82, Carey 48*, Archer 3-19) vs England
The afternoon was dominated by a 91-run partnership between Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey, yet England might have shaded the session.
Australia lost two wickets in three balls immediately after lunch, with first Marnus Labuschagne and then Cameron Green chipping tamely to Brydon Carse at short midwicket off Jofra Archer's bowling, and Khawaja's top-edged sweep to deep square leg off Will Jacks leaves England in a strong position.
They are one wicket away from Australia's bowlers and after losing the toss on a roasting hot day in Adelaide, they will be very happy with how things are progressing for them. In truth, they haven't had to bowl particularly well: Australia have thrown wickets away.
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Khawaja falls sweeping
No hundred for Usman Khawaja! Yet another soft dismissal on a day filled with them for Australia. He has milked Will Jacks's bowling today but decides to bring out the big slog-sweep, and picks out Josh Tongue at deep square leg. Khawaja is applauded off, but knows he has given away a brilliant opportunity to score his 17th Test century.
There's plenty of turn and bounce on offer for Jacks, which begs the question as to just how damaging Nathan Lyon might be when he gets the opportunity to bowl on this pitch.
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Ilford 2nds
Australia v Jofra Archer: 3-19 (10 overs)
— Andrew Wu (@wutube) December 17, 2025
Australia v the rest: 1-127 (27 overs)#Ashes
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Freebies for Khawaja
Usman Khawaja's wagon wheel tells a story of England's poor plans and execution to him today. They've been keen to test him out against the short ball and to cramp him for room, but his scoring areas show that he has had few real problems in those areas. He has only scored three of his first 60 runs in front of square on the off side, and one of his only full-blooded drives was dropped by Harry Brook at second slip. Keeping things simple and bowling a tight line and a good length outside off must be worth a go, rather than the five-four leg-side field they are currently trying with Josh Tongue.
43 Runs behind square in Usman Khawaja's 60 not out, the majority through square leg or fine leg.
Khawaja 50
Usman Khawaja nudges a quick single into the off side and acknowledges the crowd's applause for his 81-ball half-century. This has been a remarkable day for him: he would have arrived at Adelaide Oval this morning expecting to run the drinks, but instead has found himself thrown into the middle order at No. 4, was dropped on 5 by Harry Brook at second slip, and has since found another gear, slipping into cruise control.
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Carey counter-punches
There was a rousing cheer when Alex Carey walked out to bat on his home ground in the over after lunch and he has made a bright start, scoring at a run a ball. He has punished England's seamers whenever they have offered him width, highlighted by two boundaries in Josh Tongue's first over from the Cathedral End.
Carey has dominated the scoring in this session as Australia rebuild from Jofra Archer's double-strike.
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Green's dip
It was five years ago to the day that Cameron Green made his Test debut at Adelaide Oval against India, but he is yet to prove himself as an international-quality batter on home soil. Green is unusual in that he has done his best work with the bat overseas, and his soft dismissal after lunch has taken his Test average in Australia below 30.
29.6 Cameron Green's average in Australia has dipped below 30
Alex Malcolm wrote about Australia's Green conundrum before this Test, saying: "He's 26 and has played 34 Tests. He can no longer hide behind being a young player learning his craft, yet he is the youngest player in the Australian team by five years. But he has also played so little cricket in recent years, much like he has in this series, that it feels like at times he is starting his career over and over again."
Green's non-Test first-class average in Australia - i.e. for WA, Australia A and the PM's XI - is 54.89, so he has strong pedigree with the bat in this country. But he is yet to work it out at Test level.
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Two in three balls!
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Wow. The mood of this game has flipped completely in the first three balls of the afternoon session. It's another nothing dismissal: Jofra Archer strays down the leg side, missing another set, but Cameron Green - fresh from a record-breaking sale at last night's IPL auction - chips tamely towards midwicket where Brydon Carse flings himself low to his right and takes an excellent catch. Australia are 94 for 4 and giving their bright start away.
6 Jofra Archer has doubled his wicket tally for the series today from three to six.
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Soft as a feather
First ball after lunch! An incredibly soft dismissal for Marnus Labuschagne, who had done the hard work this morning and must have been ready to bed in this afternoon at a venue where he previously averaged over 70. Archer starts back-of-a-length, 84mph/135kph, and Labuschagne makes a total mess of it, skewing a flat-batted pull straight to Brydon Carse at short midwicket. England have bowled poorly today but have a huge opportunity to bowl Australia out after losing the toss. In comes Cameron Green at No. 5.
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England playing Khawaja into form
Alex Malcolm at Adelaide Oval: Usman Khawaja has made the most of his selection reprieve and his reprieve from Harry Brook. His career looked over 24 hours ago. He turns 39 tomorrow. His role at the top of the order had been made redundant. Steve Smith's illness gave him a chance at No. 4, where he has had the most success in first-class cricket.
He looked all at sea against the quicks from around the wicket, having averaged under 16 against fast bowling from that angle in 2025 and been dismissed nine consecutive times in Tests from that angle by that style of bowler. It should have been 10 when he played a loose drive at Josh Tongue from his 27th delivery having scored just 5. But Harry Brook dropped a straightforward chance to his left.
Khawaja has since scored 35 off 27 deliveries. He has been gifted half-volleys on the pads, cuts and pulls from Tongue and Ben Stokes. England then offered up Will Jacks' part-time offspin to Australia's best player of spin, and he's picked off 12 from 9 deliveries including two emphatic sweep shots.
England are playing Khawaja into form, having almost had Australia 51 for 3 with no Smith to worry about after losing the toss in Adelaide.
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Lunch: Australia 94 for 2
Australia 94 for 2 (Khawaja 41*, Labuschagne 19*) vs England
Australia's morning. They lost Steven Smith at late notice after he reported nausea and dizziness, handing Usman Khawaja a dramatic and unexpected reprieve, but won an important toss and have got to work against an England attack short on control.
Brydon Carse was very loose with the new ball, feeding the openers with short, wide cut-balls, but both men fell in the space of six balls: Jake Weatherald top-edging a catch behind when cramped on the pull by Jofra Archer, and Travis Head to a blinder by Zak Crawley at cover-point.
But Khawaja has steadied the ship with Marnus Labuschagne, the pair adding 61 in 14.5 overs and scoring freely in the last half-hour of the session after a steady start in combination. Harry Brook's drop of Khawaja, on 5, at second slip already looks like a very significant moment in this Test match.
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Aussies love Adelaide
Australia batting first after winning the toss at Adelaide this century:
— Yas Rana (@Yas_Wisden) December 17, 2025
511-7 vs WI, '22
473-9 vs Eng, '21
589-3 vs Pak, '19
517-7 vs Ind, '14
570-9 vs Eng, '13
550 vs SA, '12
604-7 vs Ind, '12
245 vs Eng, '10
575-8 vs NZ, '04
556 vs Ind, '03
439 vs SA, '01
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Jacks on early
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Ben Stokes brings Will Jacks into the attack for a spell before the lunch break, as he did in the pink-ball Test in Brisbane. Jacks bowled the 20th over of Australia's first innings at the Gabba but leaked nine runs (plus four byes) down the leg side and did not bowl again until the 98th over; after another poor start here, it will be intriguing to see if Stokes has more faith in him with a red ball.
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Khawaja's gear shift
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Usman Khawaja has accelerated since being dropped by Harry Brook, scoring boundaries in three consecutive overs. He appears to have seized the mindset that Jake Weatherald spoke about during the Gabba Test: "It's funny: when someone gets dropped, you always feel like you may as well just have a crack at it now."
England will be desperate for a third wicket before lunch, which would represent a strong morning session for them after losing the toss, and after such a loose start with the ball.
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Chance goes down!
Josh Tongue has started nicely in his first Test in Australia, cranking it up past 90mph/145kph, and should have a wicket. Usman Khawaja is drawn into the drive, his thick outside edge flies away into the cordon, but Harry Brook can't cling on at second slip as he dives to his left. Khawaja has looked incredibly scratchy, but that could still be a costly drop.
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Weatherald's early patterns
Alex Malcolm at Adelaide Oval notes that Jake Weatherald's first four dismissals in Test cricket have followed a similar pattern: he has twice been pinned lbw from around the wicket by Jofra Archer, and has twice been caught top-edging short balls when cramped for room from the same angle. Weatherald now has 130 runs in his first five Test innings - a solid if unspectacular return - and there are signs that England are starting to work out how to bowl to him, even Brydon Carse fed his cut shot this morning.
3 Jofra Archer has dismissed Jake Weatherald in three of his first five Test innings. Brydon Carse got him in the second innings in Perth, and he was unbeaten in the second innings at the Gabba.
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Stunning catch!
There have been some good catches in this series, but this one is the best yet. Brydon Carse is into a fifth over and starts with a long half-volley outside off stump. Travis Head drives and gets a good piece of it, but Zak Crawley flings himself low to his left at cover-point and take a phenomenal one-handed catch, low to the ground. It is checked and cleared by the TV umpire, and Australia have lost two in six balls.
In comes Usman Khawaja: how will he be feeling after a rollercoaster 24 hours?
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Weatherald goes!
England are on the board, and there is a huge roar from the Barmy Army beneath the scoreboard. It's a soft dismissal, but one which highlights the value of pace: Archer digs one in halfway down at 91.4mph/147.2kph which is angling down the leg side but Jake Weatherald flaps at it and top-edges towards leg gully, and Jamie Smith gets around to take a straightforward catch. England have started poorly, but get a gift.
Carse's loose start
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Brydon Carse is opening the bowling for England, an unfamiliar role, and has started poorly: he has offered Jake Weatherald far too much width, and is cut away for consecutive fours in his third over. Weatherald is struck on the helmet by a sharp bouncer two balls later, but then throws his hands at another wide one to pick up a third four of the over. England are already in danger of wasting this new ball.
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Swann on Bashir's omission
England made a big selection call before this Test, choosing to leave Shoaib Bashir out for the third consecutive match in this series after investing so much time and energy into his development over the past two years.
Graeme Swann had his say on ESPN's Around The Wicket show (above) and Vithushan Ehantharajah delved into the implications more broadly here.
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CA plans Sydney tribute to Bondi victims
Todd Greenberg, Cricket Australia's chief executive, has been speaking to written media this morning and has outlined plans for tributes to the victims of the Bondi Beach attack to coincide with the Sydney Test.
“We're just talking about that now," Greenberg said. "I mean, clearly we'll do something. Sometimes a couple of days after an incident like that is a long period of time, let alone a couple of weeks. So we just want to get through this, and then we'll figure out what we do, but we'll do something, and it will need to be quite significant I think.
“It is close to home for me. Bondi Beach literally feels like my own backyard back in Sydney when I was living there, so I spent a lot of time there. And I've got, obviously, deep links to the Jewish community, and thankfully for me, all my friends and family are safe. But it was hard to watch, and I've had lots of conversations with our own staff inside CA to make sure today we can demonstrate the power of cricket and the concept of bringing people together.
"I get a sense on some of these occasions, sometimes people have a sense that you should stop out of respect and I'm firmly of the view we've got to keep putting one step after the other and use cricket as a unifying voice."
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CA: Smith suffering 'nausea and dizziness'
Cricket Australia: "Steven Smith was ruled out of the third NRMA Ashes Test in Adelaide today. Over the past few days he has been feeling unwell, with symptoms including nausea and dizziness.
"He was assessed and monitored closely and was close to being available to play. However, given the persistence of symptoms, a decision was made not to proceed.
"He is being treated for a potential vestibular issue. This is something Steve has experienced intermittently in the past and is being managed accordingly. He is expected to be available for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne."
Click here for the full story.
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Bondi tributes
A moment's silence at Adelaide Oval before the national anthems in respect for the victims of the terror attack at Bondi Beach on Sunday night is followed by the folk singer John Williamson performing his classic 'True Blue'.
Pat Cummins, who leaves at nearby Bronte Beach, said yesterday that the attacks had hit him hard: he regularly visits Bondi with his young family, and said he had watched TV news coverage with a sense of "disbelief" on Sunday night.
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Khawaja at No. 4
Usman Khawaja has opened the batting for Australia for the last four years, but looks set to bat at No. 4 after his dramatic late recall. It is a role that he has enjoyed previously: he has only batted there twice in Tests, but has often done so in first-class cricket for Queensland with success and scored three hundreds in eight innings at No. 4 for Glamorgan in 2018.
Even still, Steven Smith's absence means this is another huge opportunity for England against an Australia side missing two linchpins once again - this time, Josh Hazlewood and Smith.
51.8 Usman Khawaja's batting average at No. 4 in first-class cricket, spanning 51 innings - including 10 centuries.
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Australia bat, Khawaja reprieved
Australia win the toss, choose to bat vs England
It’s official: Usman Khawaja has won a dramatic late recall to the Australia XI, less than 24 hours after his Test career appeared to be over.
Khawaja was left out when Australia named their team yesterday and it was hard to see a way back for him, but events have taken over and he is now carded to bat at No. 4 in Adelaide.
There is still some mystery over the details of Steven Smith’s absence, beyond Alex’s timeline below. “Steve's [been] feeling a little bit unwell the last couple days,” Pat Cummins says, after winning the toss and choosing to bat first.
“He came and gave it a crack this morning, but, yeah, didn't think he was going to get up for this one. So he's headed off home. But, you know, [we are] pretty lucky we got some like Usman who can step right in.”
Australia: 1 Jake Weatherald, 2 Travis Head, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Usman Khawaja, 5 Cameron Green, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Josh Inglis, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Scott Boland.
England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Will Jacks, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Josh Tongue.
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Smith in major doubt
Good morning from Adelaide Oval, where we have a dramatic start to the day with the toss imminent.
It is appearing like Steven Smith will miss the Adelaide Test, Alex Malcolm reports. He had a bat in the nets on match morning but walked out to chat with coach Andrew McDonald in the middle and then headed back to the rooms.
He was unwell on Monday and missed training. He trained on Tuesday but was clearly not at 100 percent. He has now left the ground and headed to the hotel. It appears as though Usman Khawaja will be recalled in extraordinary circumstances. The shape of Australia's batting line-up will be known after the toss.
Update: Smith is leaving the venue. He's walking to the hotel. Doesn't have any medical staff with him.
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