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New Delhi: England threatened to keep their Ashes hopes alive with a hundred-run stand between skipper Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer, but a century from hometown hero Travis Head and his crucial partnerships with Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey put Australia in a commanding position at stumps on Day 3 of the third Test at Adelaide Oval on Friday, December 19.
Head was dropped by Harry Brook at gully on 99, but smashed his fourth successive ton at his home ground. His 122-run partnership with Carey helped the hosts to reach 271/4 at the end of day's play, leading by 356 runs.
Earlier, Stokes and Archer stitched a 106-run partnership for the ninth wicket to reduce England's deficit to double digits after they started the day 158 runs behind. The England skipper smashed his slowest Test fifty in 159 balls, while Archer scored his maiden half-century in his 28th innings.
Starc then removed Ben Stokes, and Scott Boland dismissed Archer on his second ball of the day to close out England's innings on 286/10.
The hosts got off to a poor start in the second innings and were reduced to 53/2 as Jake Weatherald was trapped lbw by Brydon Carse for 1 run, while Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed by Josh Tongue for 13. After their dismissal, Head managed to find gaps with ease as England's short-ball strategy failed miserably.
With captain Stokes unable to bowl, the visitors heavily relied on Will Jacks' off-spin, which proved costly for them as he conceded 107 runs in 19 overs. He did manage to break the 86-run partnership between Khawaja and Head, dismissing the latter on 40 runs. After Khawaja's dismissal, Carey joined Head in the middle and attacked the England bowlers to stitch an unbeaten 122-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Carey, who notched up a century in the first innings, remained unbeaten on 52 at stumps, while Head was also unbeaten on 142, smashing his 11th Test hundred.
