Travis Head's Century Puts Australia Ahead in Ashes Third Test

Day Three Overview

The third day of the Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval began with high hopes for England, thanks to a strong century partnership between captain Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer. However, it concluded with Australia taking the lead, bolstered by a remarkable century from local favorite Travis Head, alongside partnerships with Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey.

By the end of the day, England found themselves at 271/4, with Head (142*) and Carey (52*) still at the crease, giving Australia a commanding lead of 356 runs.

Head's Performance Drives Australia Forward

Australia commenced the final session at 119/2, with Head (68*) and Khawaja (27*) unbeaten, holding a 204-run lead.

Khawaja began the session with two consecutive boundaries against Will Jacks but was dismissed shortly after, caught by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith for 40 runs off 51 balls. This left Australia at 139 for three.

Cameron Green, who was bought for 25.20 crores by Kolkata Knight Riders, fell for a mere seven runs after attempting a drive at an outside off-stump delivery from Josh Tongue, leaving Australia at 149/4.

Head then formed a partnership with Alex Carey, who was dropped at 99 by Harry Brook. Head reached his fourth consecutive Test century at home in 146 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes. The lead quickly surpassed 300 runs as the duo amassed a 100-run partnership in 151 balls, with Carey also reaching his half-century in 84 balls.

Australia Expands Their Lead

At the conclusion of the second session, Australia stood at 119/2, with Head (68*) and Khawaja (27*) still at the crease.

Beginning the session at 17/1, Head (5*) and Marnus Labuschagne (4*) faced a challenging spell from Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer, who kept the pressure on the Australian batsmen.

Head managed to score a few boundaries, while Labuschagne struggled, eventually falling for just 13 runs after 45 balls, caught by Harry Brook. Australia was then at 53/2.

Head and Khawaja, both left-handers, quickly added runs, with Head reaching his fifty in 72 balls. Australia crossed the 100-run mark in 25.4 overs, and the duo's partnership helped them extend their lead beyond 200 runs.

Stokes and Archer's Morning Resistance

After England was bowled out for 286 in response to Australia's first innings total of 371, Australia began their innings at 17/1, with Travis Head (5*) and Marnus Labuschagne (4*) unbeaten.

England resumed day three at 213/8, with Stokes (45*) and Archer (30*) at the crease. Stokes showcased his skills with a beautiful cover drive and reached a commendable fifty off 159 balls.

Following Stokes' milestone, he and Archer adopted a more aggressive approach, leading to a century partnership in 164 balls. Stokes was eventually dismissed for 83 runs, and Archer contributed a solid 51 runs before England was all out for 286, trailing by 85 runs.

Early Breakthrough for England

In their second innings, England made an early breakthrough with Brydon Carse dismissing Jake Weatherald for just one run, leaving Australia at 8/1.

Marnus Labuschagne and Head then stabilized the innings, ensuring no further wickets fell.

Match Summary

England ended day two at 213/8, thanks to a 45-run partnership between Stokes and Archer. Despite contributions from Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Jamie Smith, they struggled to build on their starts.

Australia, after winning the toss, opted to bat first and faced early setbacks but recovered through a 91-run partnership between Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey, who scored 106 runs in his first Ashes Test. Archer was the standout bowler for England with figures of 5/53.

Brief Scores

Australia: 371 and 271/4 (Travis Head 142*, Alex Carey 52*, Josh Tongue 2/59) vs England: 286 (Ben Stokes 83, Jofra Archer 51, Scott Boland 3/45).