The Ashes: Alex Carey slams a quickfire 66 at Edgbaston
Australian wicket-keeper-batter Alex Carey continues his phenomenal run in Test cricket. He brought up his fifth Test half-century on Day 2 of the 1st Ashes Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Carey came to the middle after Australia were reduced to 220/5 in response to England's 393/8d. The left-handed batter then added a century stand with Usman Khawaja, who scored an incredible century.
Another pivotal knock from Carey
As stated, Carey came to the crease when Australia were down to five on 220. Carey, who has been bolstering Australia's lower middle order, yet again showcased his credibility. His positive approach and how he counterattacked the new ball, helped Australia gain momentum. Carey returned unbeaten on 52 at stumps (Day 2). He finally departed for 66 off 99 balls (10 fours, 1 six).
A look at his Test stats
Carey has raced to 869 runs in 21 Tests at an average of 36.20. Besides, scoring five fifties, he has slammed a century in this format. The wicket-keeper batter also owns a healthy strike rate of 61.02. His only century in the longest format came against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 2022.
Second-best batting average among Aussie wicket-keepers
It is worth noting that Carey has the second-best batting average (36.20) among Australian wicket-keepers. He is only behind legend Adam Gilchrist in this regard. The star wicket-keeper ended up with 5,570 Test runs at 47.61.
Carey's home and away stats
Carey has slammed 365 runs in 10 Test matches at home with an average of 33.18. In nine away matches (home of opposition), he has amassed 390 runs at 32.50. He has smashed three fifties overseas. The 2023 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final between Australia and India was his first Test at a neutral venue. Carey scored 114 runs across two innings.
Carey scripted this record in WTC final
During the WTC final, Carey entered the record books. He slammed 114 crucial runs (48 and 66) and also accumulated six dismissals. Therefore, Carey became the fifth Aussie wicket-keeper to achieve this feat in a Test. Rodney Marsh, Ian Healy, Adam Gilchrist (thrice), and Brad Haddin (twice) are the other Australian wicket-keepers to have slammed 100-plus runs and six dismissals in a Test.
