‘That one’s for you, Dad’: Tears of joy with Carey’s classy century rescuing Aussies after string of soft dismissals

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Usman Khawaja latched onto a surprise chance to revive his career when it appeared over and Alex Carey showed he deserves his elevation in the order with a classy ton on day one of the third Ashes Test.

It was an emotional innings for Carey, who looked to the heavens when he reached his milestone at his home turf of Adelaide Oval in a touching moment after his father Gordon died in September following a four-year battle with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia. 

Carey’s brilliant 106 ensured Australia finished the day on 8-326 and they probably have a slight upper hand considering England’s batting woes on tour but they could have been in a much better position of strength.

They squandered the chance to punish England with a few of their top-order batters throwing their wickets away when the tourists were at their mercy in heatwave conditions before a record crowd of 56,298.

Marnus Labuschagne (19), Cameron Green (duck) and Khawaja (82) fell to soft dismissals with Jofra Archer this time producing his most ferocious bowling at the start of a Test.

Carey briefly appeared to be wiping away tears through his helmet and his wife was visibly emotional in the crowd after the magical moment when he drove Ben Stokes through the covers from the 135th delivery he faced for his third Test ton and first in Ashes contests.

“An emotional hundred for a quality cricketer. His third in Test cricket and first in an Ashes. That one’s for you, Dad,” fellow wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist said on Fox Sports after Carey brought up his milestone.

What a moment ????

Alex Carey brings up a Test century in front of his home fans!

A glance to the sky in acknowledgement of his Dad, and the ‘Caaaaarrrrey’ chants ring out around Adelaide Oval ???? pic.twitter.com/oRmUY2KwT4

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 17, 2025

He was later interviewed by Gilchrist at stumps, paying tribute to his dad.

“It was great to be out there with Mitch, and a decent day’s cricket. The crowd, 56,000 in Adelaide, it’s pretty special and to make 100 here in front of home fans and family was special and you know why I was looking at the heavens,” he said.

“I’d probably like to tear up, but it was great to have Mum, my brother, sister, Eloise, the kids, it was a great moment.

“Dad played the biggest role, probably, in my cricket. Coached me all the way through, as dads want to do and sort of let me go once I got into my older teenage years.

“He would always shoot a message to put the reverse sweep away and keep hard on me. It was a special moment for myself, but for the family, too.”

Usman Khawaja. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Carey caressed the ball to the boundary eight times on his way to his century and cleared it with a savage whack down the ground off spinner Will Jacks.

He came to the crease at a tricky time with the hosts 4-94 and he has justified his elevation to six in the order ahead of fellow keeper Josh Inglis.

Carey put on 89 with Khawaja to steady the ship before adding 49 with Inglis and another half-century stand with Mitchell Starc to further frustrate the tourists, who need to win this match to keep the Ashes alive at 2-0 down in the series.

He appeared to have luck on his side on 72 when what looked, and sounded, like a snick off Carse was cleared by the third umpire after England reviewed because the audio did not marry up with the ball passing the bat, although the sound could have come from his spikes dragging on the pitch.

After making the call to drop him on Tuesday, the Aussies handed Khawaja his 39th birthday present 24 hours early when vice-captain Steve Smith was ruled out before the morning session due to nausea and dizziness.

He appeared keen to play but the team medicos ruled him out so that he could be treated for a vestibular issue to ensure he is right for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

Khawaja’s return did not deter the Aussies from sticking with Travis Head and Jake Weatherald as their openers with the veteran left-hander slotting in at Smith’s usual No.4 spot.

Archer and Brydon Carse initially wasted the new ball before Weatherald fell to the Barbadian for the third time in as many matches when he gloved the ball straight up to keeper Jamie Smith on 18.

Head followed in the next over when he drove Carse to point but Zak Crawley reeled in a spectacular catch on 10.

Australia should have been three down before they had reached 50 but Khawaja received another gift on six when Harry Brook put down a chance to his left at second slip.

“That’s a bad one. It wasn’t an easy catch but at this level that’s catchable,” legendary Aussie fielder Mark Waugh on Fox Cricket. “You could feel the pressure building.

“Harry Brook there at second slip, he had to move to his left and just got his hands on an awkward angle. You’ve got to catch that.

“It’s such a crucial drop at this stage of the game.”

Khawaja made the most of his reprieve to motor along at a decent rate for the first time since his last century in Sri Lanka at the start of the year.

Australia were in decent shape at 2-94 at lunch but Labuschagne scooped the first ball after the break from Archer to Carse at midwicket.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Green did likewise two balls later and Archer couldn’t believe his luck.

Khawaja brought up his 50 in 82 balls as Carey settled in before upping the ante. 

After hitting 10 fours, he was out to Jacks trying to lift him over the boundary but his top-edged sweep went no further than recalled seamer Josh Tongue in the deep.

Inglis made a rapid 32 before chopping Tongue onto the stumps to cast doubt over whether he can establish himself as a reliable middle-order option before Pat Cummins  made his first appearance of the series after his back injury with 13.

Carey was filthy with himself after a slog sweep attempt off Jacks went skyward with Smith’s gloves doing the rest just before the second new ball was due.

The 34-year-old now has 671 runs for 2025, more than Smith (618) and Head (589).

Stokes took the new pill ahead of Archer with Carse punished for his mainly wayward opening spell.

Starc (33) and Nathan Lyon (0) managed to stick around to stumps with Archer’s pace well down in the mid 130s after a long day in the Adelaide sun.

Stokes said the England dressing room was no place for soft cricketers and they have at least shown some mettle with the ball to start the third Test but their haphazard batters need to back that up on day two on a friendly surface to keep their hopes of a near impossible comeback series win alive.