Ashes 2025: Chaos, controversy and Carey keep Adelaide on a knife-edge
After seven days, there are still no signs that this series may be settling down yet. The first day at Adelaide Oval was chaos, just like the first two Tests were, with a record 56,298 fans divided as to whether England was beginning to find their foothold again or if Australia’s winning total had already been achieved by Alex Carey’s first-ever Ashes century.
The only calm before the storm was the tribute for the victims of the Bondi terrorist attack that was observed by fans and players before play began today. After that, there was chaos. Steve Smith’s last-minute exit due to vertigo changed the make-up of the Australian batting line-up and gave Usman Khawaja an unexpected second chance. He took it after narrowly avoiding a dropped catch early in his innings to make a fluent 50 runs.
While England’s bowling performance was a mix of aggression and undisciplined, Australia regained the momentum by losing multiple players cheaply. Five wickets were out cheaply, two of which came within three balls of each other right after lunch. Jofra Archer led the charge for England with a very successful spell of bowling that answered many of the criticisms that he received from the Brisbane Test match. The main reason for the difference in performance was due to Carey taking advantage of some controversial DRS decisions that allowed him to turn an early score of runs into his maiden Test match century. This gave Australia a chance to remain in contention despite a period of struggle.
Day 2: Australia Dominate as England Slide Under Pressure
The second day of the Test match displayed the same patterns that we have seen in previous Ashes series, with Australia applying pressure and England coming back only to lose it again, and then Australia regaining full control over England.
Following a final total of 371 runs in their first innings, Australia’s bowlers took control again and continued to put pressure on England throughout their innings, resulting in no significant partnerships developing. By the time stumps were reached for Day 2, England were at great risk of losing by a very large margin. They were placed under extreme pressure from the bowling efforts of Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins, who continued to be very effective throughout England’s innings.
As the final two days of the third Test approach, Australia’s lead over England is very slight. Consequently, England once again encounters a challenge that they have faced many times this Series, namely, demonstrating that their aggressive style of play can still be disciplined. As this is another game of the current Ashes Series that has been overshadowed by controversy and confusion, it is neither predictable nor easy to win in Adelaide.
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