Tag: Ashes 2025

ADELAIDE: Controversy erupted as Australia wicket-keeper batter Alex Carey wrongfully survived a caught behind England review on the opening day of the third Ashes Test here on Wednesday.

Carey hit 106 off 143 balls on his home ground, which kept Australia afloat at stumps as the scorecard read 326-8.

His knock hauled Australia out of trouble after losing two quick wickets in the first over after lunch. However, he could have been out way too early from his landmark.

The left-handed batter survived a caught behind review when he was batting on 72, and the scoreboard read 245-6.

During the second ball of the 62nd over, England appealed for a caught behind and reviewed it straight away, which was eventually turned down by umpire Ahsan Raza.

There was an evident noise as the ball went past Carey’s outside edge, whereas a large spike was also seen on Snicko technology.

However, TV umpire Chris Gaffaney swiftly ruled the not-out decision should be upheld because the Snicko spike showed up before the ball had reached the bat.

Later on, the operator of the Snicko technology, BBG Sports, admitted the mistake that led to Carey’s wrongful survival of an England review.

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Carey, who went on to make 106 having been on 72 at the time of the review, admitted during a press conference after the close that he thought he had edged the delivery.

Later on Wednesday, BBG Sports, the company that owns Snicko, accepted culpability for the mistake.

Notably, the sound used for the review was taken from the stump microphone at the bowlers’ end rather than the striker’s end, which caused a discrepancy between the pictures and the sound wave shown to TV umpire Chris Gaffaney.

“Given that Alex Carey admitted he had hit the ball in question, the only conclusion that can be drawn from this, is that the Snicko operator at the time must have selected the incorrect stump mic for audio processing,” BBG Sports said.

“In light of this, BBG Sports takes full responsibility for the error,” it added.

For the unversed, the decision review system (DRS) technology, which is mandatory in ICC World Test Championship matches, is provided by the host TV broadcaster for the home team.

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ADELAIDE: An emotional Alex Carey called his 106 on home soil in front of family and friends in the third Ashes Test a “special moment” on Wednesday, with the century coming just months after his father died.

The 34-year-old, who produced a wicketkeeping masterclass during the second Test at Brisbane, showed his prowess with the bat to steer Australia to 326-8 at stumps on day one against England.

It was his third Test century, his first in an Ashes series, and an innings to savour with his friends and family watching.

Carey punched the air and looked to the heavens when he reached the milestone as his wife, Eloise, sobbed in the stands.

It was the first time Carey had reached three figures since his father Gordon died after a battle with leukaemia in September, and he called it a “special moment”.

“Probably won’t go into too much depth thinking through the reasons why, I’ll probably get emotional, but yeah, it was great,” he said.

“Dad played the biggest role probably in my cricket, coached me all the way through as dads want to do,” he added.

“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.”

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Carey’s 106 off 143 balls hauled Australia out of trouble after losing two quick wickets in the first over after lunch, then Usman Khawaja departed for a gritty 82.

He shared in partnerships with Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc to get the hosts back on track as they target an unassailable 3-0 series lead.

“Really, a little bit of a sticky situation there straight after lunch,” he said. “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 been 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.”

Khawaja was parachuted in at the last moment when Steve Smith pulled out with illness just before the toss.

He came in at four after being overlooked as opener in favour of Travis Head and Jake Weatherald, with many fearing it spelt the end of his career.

But Alex Carey said Usman Khawaja still had plenty to give the team.

“I still think he’s got so much to give to this group,” he said. “We saw him again today, and he played really well.”

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ADELAIDE: A composed Alex Carey slammed a majestic 106 on his home ground, and Usman Khawaja hit a defiant 82 on Wednesday to put Australia in the driving seat of the third Ashes Test against England.

Batting after captain Pat Cummins won the toss as temperatures topped 36 Celsius at Adelaide Oval, the hosts were 326-8 at stumps on day one after the shock news of Steve Smith being ruled out with illness.

Mitchell Starc was not out 33 at Stumps, and Nathan Lyon was yet to score.

A tireless Jofra Archer ended with 3-29 on a tough day toiling in the field.

Australia lead the five-Test series 2-0 and will retain the Ashes if they win or draw, after back-to-back eight-wicket thumpings in Perth and Brisbane.

Smith, who has more than 10,000 runs, had been feeling unwell in the lead-up but was named in the side. He was on the field during the morning warm-up but left 20 minutes before the toss, shaking his head.

His absence gave an unexpected chance for Khawaja, who turns 39 on Thursday and was overlooked as opener in favour of Travis Head and Jake Weatherald, with many fearing it spelt the end of his career.

Khawaja, who missed Brisbane after suffering back spasms in Perth, grabbed his chance in a stoic knock after being handed a reprieve when dropped on five.

He was eventually out just before tea, slog-sweeping to Josh Tongue in the deep off the spin of Will Jacks.

Carey picked up the mantle, first alongside Josh Inglis (32), then Pat Cummins (13), and latterly Starc, who once more showed his prowess with the bat.

He hit eight fours and a six in his third Test century, bringing up the milestone in front of family, friends and 56,298 fans — the biggest cricket crowd ever at the venue.

A blistering first over after lunch from Archer had left Australia reeling. He removed Marnus Labuschagne for 19 with his first ball after the interval.

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Two deliveries later, Cameron Green was gone, with Brydon Carse collecting catches at midwicket to dismiss both.

Inglis and Cummins also fell in the final session to Tongue and Carse, respectively. Weatherald was earlier out for 18 and Head for 10.

Players from both teams were wearing black armbands as a mark of respect to the victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting.

A moment of silence was held before the game, with security tightened at a packed Adelaide Oval where flags were flying at half-mast.

Weatherald was in fine early touch, clobbering a series of boundaries from Carse, who was too short and wide.

But the opener’s gung-ho approach cost him against the pace of Archer, who fired down a bouncer and induced a top edge to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

Head followed next over, with Zak Crawley taking a sensational instinctive catch low to his left at short cover off a fuller ball from Carse.

That brought Khawaja to the crease, and he was fortunate to survive when Harry Brook dropped a sitter at second slip.

Labuschagne lobbed an easy catch to Carse on their return, then incredibly Green repeated the feat in the softest of dismissals.

Khawaja brought up his 28th Test 50 to big cheers, but his bid for a first century since his 232 against Sri Lanka, nearly two years ago, was dashed.

Alex Carey had a life on 52 when Carse put down a difficult chance in the covers, and the 34-year-old made the most of it.

He kept the scoreboard ticking over to reach his hundred before top-edging Jacks to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith late in the day.

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ADELAIDE: Australia’s Steve Smith was ruled out of the third Ashes Test against England just before it started on Wednesday with vertigo symptoms, but is expected to be available for the Boxing Day clash in Melbourne.

Smith, who captained the team to emphatic eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane, missed training on Monday, citing illness, but batted on Tuesday and was initially named in the starting XI.

He was on the field at Adelaide Oval but walked off 20 minutes before the toss, shaking his head after a chat with coach Andrew McDonald.

“Over the past few days, he has been feeling unwell, with symptoms including nausea and dizziness,” Cricket Australia (CA) said.

“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.”

The governing body said Smith was being treated for “a potential vestibular issue”, which is essentially vertigo, a problem he has suffered from before.

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“This is something Steve has experienced intermittently in the past and is being managed accordingly,” Cricket Australia added. “He is expected to be available for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.”

Steve Smith has long been Australia’s middle-order rock, a player with 36 Test centuries and more than 10,000 runs, and his absence is a huge blow.

It handed a lifeline to 85-Test veteran Usman Khawaja, who had been axed as opener with selectors opting to stick with Travis Head and Jake Weatherald.

Khawaja came in for Smith at four and was 41 not out at lunch with Australia reaching 94-2.

“Pretty lucky we’ve got someone like Uzzie (Khawaja) who can step right in,” said skipper Pat Cummins, who won the toss and chose to bat.

Smith’s absence capped a dramatic build-up to the third Test in which Australia is chasing an unassailable 3-0 series lead and England is battling to keep the Ashes alive.

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ADELAIDE: Captain Ben Stokes has demanded England to “show a bit of dog” in the must-win third Ashes Test against Australia on Wednesday after “raw” conversations following heavy defeats in Perth and Brisbane.

The tourists have crashed to consecutive eight-wicket losses and must snap a 17-match winless streak in Australia at Adelaide Oval to keep the five-match series alive.

They have made one change with Josh Tongue replacing fellow quick Gus Atkinson, while off-spinning all-rounder Will Jacks kept his place ahead of Shoaib Bashir.

Stokes said after the Gabba defeat that Australia was “no place for weak men” and admitted to hard dressing-room discussions in the aftermath.

“What’s been said has been said,” Stokes told reporters. “I’ve done all the talking over the last two days that I needed to. All that stuff’s done now, so it’s about what gets seen out on the field in Adelaide this week.”

Ben Stokes was called “the most competitive person I’ve ever come across” by former England captain Alastair Cook last week, and the 34-year-old all-rounder wants to see more fight from his team.

“It’s just about trying to fight in every situation that you find yourself in, understanding the situation and what you feel is required for your team,” said Stokes.

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“Just look at your opposition every single time and show a bit of dog. That’s fight to me. You’re giving yourself the best possible chance if you’ve got a bit of dog in you.”

Asked how the team had responded to his demands, Stokes replied: “It goes one or two ways, and the response that the whole group has shown as a collective has been exactly what I wanted.

“And we’re going into this week with a full understanding of what we need to do. I think the team is very, very understanding of some of the bits that I’ve raised in the dressing room.”

Ben Stokes cited England’s battling third Test win against India at Lord’s in July as an example of the grit he wanted to see, the hosts having won by 22 runs deep into day five after a time-wasting row.

“That’s exactly what I’m on about,” he said. “We were probably in a situation where we would have to be absolutely perfect to win that game, and we were.

“The attitude and the mentality towards that specific situation is what gave us the best chance of winning that game.”

READ: Security tightened for Adelaide Ashes Test after Bondi beach shooting

Police armed with rifles will be part of a beefed-up security presence at the third Ashes Test between Australia and England at Adelaide Oval after the Bondi Beach shooting attacks, officials said, while flags will be flown at half-mast.

South Australia state Premier Peter Malinauskas said extra measures would be in place for the Ashes clash that starts on Wednesday, although there was no intelligence pointing to an elevated threat level.

“Given the events that have occurred in Sydney, there will be additional protocols put in place at Adelaide Oval,” he said late Monday.

“This is done only as a precautionary measure, but it is appropriate that we are in an increasing sense of alertness just at the moment.”

An attack by a father and son on a Jewish celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday killed 15 people, with dozens injured. One of the assailants was killed, while the other is in a critical condition in the hospital.

South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said special security-response police, armed with rifles, would be present in and around the Adelaide Oval during the Test.

“There’s a balance between the concern about police officers carrying rifles in and about the community, balanced with the need for us to be able to effectively respond to an event, should an event occur, and these officers are specifically trained for that purpose,” he said.

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“There’s no intelligence at this time to indicate that there are any increased levels of threat or security risks around the cricket or any other community event,” he said.

Cricket Australia (CA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) released a joint statement to pay tribute to the Bondi Beach victims, saying they were “horrified”.

“All of our thoughts are with the victims, their friends and families, the Jewish community and the people of Australia at this deeply distressing time,” they said. “Our condolences go out to all those affected.”

There will be a moment of silence observed before the Test, and players from both sides will wear black armbands.

“While sport can seem insignificant at times like this, we have the unusual opportunity to bring millions of people together to pay tribute, to console and to contemplate what we want our nation to be,” said Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg.

“We will continue to look at ways cricket can support and honour those who have been affected by the Bondi shootings and thank those who provided assistance during and since this tragedy.”

READ: Australia make two changes to Playing XI for third Ashes Test

Fit-again opener Usman Khawaja was left out of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide starting Wednesday as skipper Pat Cummins and veteran spinner Nathan Lyon were named in Australia’s Playing XI.

Khawaja, who turns 39 this month, had back spasms and failed to open in the first Test victory against England in Perth, then was ruled out injured for the second in Brisbane.

He has since recovered, but selectors opted to stick with Travis Head and Jake Weatherald at the top of the order, leaving the 85-Test veteran’s international future in grave doubt.

Asked if there was a way back for Khawaja, who has been on a lean run of form, Cummins replied: “Yeah, potentially.

“I think the selectors have been quite adamant we’re picking a side each week that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s got to be exactly the same team as the previous week.

“We do that with the bowlers, this week obviously Nathan Lyon’s coming back in, he missed last week.

“One of Uzzie’s (Khawaja) great strengths is [that] he has scored runs at the top, he scored runs in the middle,” he added.

“If we didn’t think he’d be good enough to come straight in, then he wouldn’t be here in the squad. So absolutely, I can see a path back at some point if needed.”

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As expected, Pat Cummins returns after missing the first two Tests with a back injury and will lead the attack alongside the outstanding Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.

Veteran spin king Nathan Lyon is also back after being axed in preference for an all-pace attack at the Gabba, with Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser making way.

Cummins said he was firing on all cylinders and raring to go.

“If I played in Brisbane, I would have probably been in limited overs, but this week it’s just go and play like any other Test match,” he said.

“It’s been fantastic to watch,” he added of the series. “I think it’s lived up to the hype, captivating every session.

“I’ve loved it and itching to get out there. The boys have been fantastic, Steve (Smith) has led brilliantly, and I feel like I’m coming into a pretty settled and happy side.

“Couldn’t have gone any better from our point of view.”

Australia Playing XI for third Ashes Test

Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

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England paceman Gus Atkinson was axed, with Josh Tongue replacing him in the playing XI for the third Ashes Test against Australia in Adelaide starting Wednesday as the tourists fight to stay alive in the series.

It was England’s only change, with off-spinner Will Jacks keeping his place ahead of Shoaib Bashir.

Atkinson struggled in eight-wicket defeats at Perth and Brisbane, clobbered for 236 with just three wickets to show for it.

Tongue was named Monday for his seventh Test to complement a pace attack led by Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and skipper Ben Stokes.

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Bashir was considered England’s number one spinner leading into the tour, but he was overlooked in an all-pace attack for Perth, then Jacks got the nod in Brisbane.

Jacks only bowled 11.3 overs at the Gabba, taking 1-34, but was composed with the bat, cracking a gritty 41 in the second innings in a 96-run stand with Stokes.

England kept their same top seven, with the under-performing Ollie Pope fending off Jacob Bethell to retain his place at number three.

England Playing XI for third Ashes Test

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue

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David Warner has named opener Matt Renshaw as the long-term replacement of Usman Khawaja in the Australia Test side. 

Khawaja, 38, has been in the spotlight after being ruled out of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba due to injury.

The southpaw could not field in the opening Test because of a back spasm, which subsequently pushed Australia to move Travis Head up the order with debutant Jake Weatherald.

Speaking ahead of the Big Bash League (BBL) 15, Warna answered questions about Usman Khawaja’s place in the side ahead of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, starting on 17 December.

Warner backed Khawaja to open, stating that Travis Head batting down the order will pose a major threat to England bowlers.

“I think Uzzy (Khawaja) comes back in, slides to the top, and Trav (Head) goes down,” Warner told reporter.

“That’s probably a worse result for England, Travis Head going back down the order,” he cautioned.

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The 39-year-old emphasized Head’s attacking mindset, noting that the left-hander will be ready to bat up the order if needed.

“At the end of the day, Travis put his hand up to bat in the situation he was in,” he explained.

“He came out and batted in the way Travis Head does. You see plenty of interviews from Trav saying that is Uzzy’s spot, and if when the time comes they ask him to go up the order, he wouldn’t mind to do that.

David Warner also named Matt Renshaw as Usman Khawaja’s successor in the Australian Test side while admitting that the former has to score runs in a bid to extend his career.

“But moving forward, Renshaw could be one (option for replacement). I think he’ll slide straight back in there. He’s had a taste of Test cricket,” Warner said.

The 29-year-old Matt Renshaw has played 14 Tests and scored 645 runs at an average of 29.31, with his last Test appearance coming against India in 2023.

At the end of the day, you still have to score runs.” “You’ll deserve the dream farewell if you score runs and the selectors stick by you,” he concluded.

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Australia captain Pat Cummins is in line to return for the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide after being named in a 15-man squad on Wednesday.

Cummins is the only addition to an otherwise unchanged squad from Brisbane, where Australia won by eight wickets to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

The 32-year-old Cummins has been sidelined since the tour to the West Indies in July with a lower back injury.

“We feel as though he’ll be as best prepared as can be,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said.

Under-pressure veteran opener Usman Khawaja, who did not play in the second Test because of a back injury, kept his place in the squad for the match, which begins at the Adelaide Oval on December 17.

Josh Inglis replaced the injured left-hander in the team for the second Test, but batted in the middle order with Travis Head moving up to open alongside Jake Weatherald.

McDonald did not rule out a fit-again Khawaja moving down the order if the dynamic Head opens again on his home Adelaide Oval wicket.

Khawaja batted at five in the fourth Test of the 2021-22 Ashes, making a century in each innings, 137 and 101 not out, in a drawn match at Sydney.

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“Uzzie should be fit and available, and then we will work out our batting order based on the surface,” McDonald said.

“The assumption is that (Khawaja) can only open as well. He does have flexibility.

“We like to think that all our batters have the flexibility to be able to perform anywhere in that order.”

Veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who has 562 Test wickets, is likely to return after being dropped at the Gabba for the first time in 12 years at home when Australia opted for an all-seam attack.

If Cummins also plays it means that only one of Scott Boland, Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett will keep their place alongside Mitchell Starc in the pace attack.

Starc, who is the leading wicket-taker in the series with 18, was reported fit by McDonald after suffering what the coach termed a “left side niggle” while making 77 with the bat in Australia’s first innings in Brisbane.

After Adelaide, the series moves on to Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test, with the fifth and final match in Sydney starting on January 4.

Australia squad for third Test

Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

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