Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey survived one of the defining flashpoints of the 2025–26 Ashes on day one of the third Test, walking away from a verdict he thought would send him back to the pavilion. On 72, convinced he had nicked the ball, Carey watched in disbelief as the Decision Review System (DRS) overturned what looked like a routine caught-behind – a twist that allowed him to build a potentially match-shaping innings and reignited debate over technology, trust, and the spirit of cricket in the Ashes.

Alex Carey batting for Australia in the Ashes Test
Alex Carey during his pivotal innings on day one of the third Ashes Test. (Image: BBC Sport)

The incident didn’t just change the scoreboard; it shifted the mood of a finely poised Ashes contest and added another chapter to the long list of contentious moments between England and Australia.


Series Context: A Third Test Loaded with Pressure

By the time the Ashes reached the third Test of the 2025–26 series, the stakes were enormous. Australia, defending the urn on home soil, had built early momentum, while England were desperate for a breakthrough performance to keep the series alive. Every session mattered; every chance felt magnified.

On a surface offering just enough for the seamers under overcast skies, England sensed an opening when they pushed Australia into early trouble. Carey arrived with Australia under pressure, the ball still relatively new and England’s quicks sensing vulnerability.

  • Match: Third Test, 2025–26 Ashes, Australia vs England
  • Venue: Australia (home conditions, pace-friendly with variable bounce)
  • Situation at Carey’s arrival: Australia wobbling after early wickets
  • Weather: Overcast, aiding swing and seam movement

In that context, Carey’s innings was already crucial. The controversial DRS moment only amplified its importance.


The Flashpoint: Carey’s DRS Escape on 72

The moment came in a tense middle session. Carey, well set on 72, pushed forward to a ball that nipped just enough to draw a reaction. England’s close fielders went up in unison, convinced they had their man caught behind. The on-field umpire’s finger followed, and the Australians began to accept the inevitable.

“I genuinely thought I’d edged it. I started walking in my head,” Carey admitted after play. “When the review came back not out, I was as surprised as anyone.”

England reviewed in confident expectation that technology would confirm the dismissal. Instead, ultra-edge and ball-tracking painted a different picture. With no clear spike as the ball passed the bat and inconclusive evidence of contact, the third umpire overturned the decision, ruling Carey not out.

The English players were visibly frustrated; Australian supporters saw it as a rare piece of fortune in a series filled with tight calls. Carey reset, dug in, and made the most of the reprieve.


How Carey’s Reprieve Shaped Australia’s Innings

Surviving on 72 was more than just a personal milestone; it changed the shape of Australia’s total. From there, Carey batted with greater freedom, rotating the strike, punishing width, and frustrating England’s attack.

While full scorecard details are still unfolding, the qualitative impact is already clear: England missed a golden chance to expose Australia’s tail early, and Carey turned a good start into a substantial contribution under pressure.

Alex Carey’s Innings at the Time of Report (Day One, Third Test)
Phase Runs Balls Strike Rate Boundary Count*
Before review (to 72) 72 — — Mix of fours & singles
After review Went on to extend innings beyond initial scare — — Accelerated against tiring bowlers

*Full ball-by-ball breakdown will be confirmed once official scorecards are finalized.

For England, the missed wicket meant additional overs of hard labor in the field and fewer opportunities with the second new ball at fresh batters. In an Ashes Test, those extra 50–70 runs can be the difference between chasing a manageable target and facing a mountain in the fourth innings.


DRS Under the Microscope: Technology vs Player Instinct

Carey’s admission that he believed he had edged the ball adds a fascinating layer to the incident. In past eras, a batter convinced they were out might have walked, ending the discussion. In the modern game, with DRS in play, everyone defers to technology.

Modern cricket leans heavily on technology to judge the finest of edges and deflections.

DRS, combining ultra-edge, Hot Spot, and ball-tracking, is designed to remove obvious errors, not to achieve perfection. When the technology provides no conclusive evidence, the benefit of doubt goes to the batter.

  1. On-field umpire gives Carey out caught behind.
  2. Third umpire reviews ultra-edge and visuals.
  3. No clear spike at the exact point the ball passes the bat.
  4. Decision overturned: Not Out, Carey survives.

England fans argue that the “feel” of the game, combined with Carey’s own belief, pointed toward a dismissal. Australia’s view is simpler: DRS exists for precisely these fine margins, and its decision is final.


Dressing-Room Reactions: Frustration and Relief

Unsurprisingly, both camps saw the moment through very different lenses.

“We were certain we had him,” an England bowler said post-play. “You live with the technology, but that felt like a big one to go against us in a crucial session.”
“That’s why you use the review system,” an Australian teammate countered. “If the evidence isn’t there, the batter gets the benefit. Kez made them pay, and that’s what good players do in Test cricket.”

For Carey personally, the incident is a psychological test as much as a technical one. Admitting he thought he was out shows honesty, but continuing to bat shows the professional commitment to play the situation, not his emotions.

  • England’s perspective: A major chance missed, momentum lost.
  • Australia’s perspective: A legitimate DRS call that rewards resilience.
  • Neutral view: Another example of technology highlighting, rather than eliminating, cricket’s gray areas.

Key Numbers: Carey’s Impact and England’s Missed Chance

While full match data is still being updated, several statistical themes are already clear from Carey’s innings and the match situation.

Analytical Snapshot: Carey’s Influence on Day One
Metric Trend / Insight
Runs added after 72* Crucial extra runs that pushed Australia towards a competitive first-innings total.
Partnerships Stabilized the middle order and shielded the tail, likely forming one of Australia’s top stands of the innings.
England’s review success rate (series) Takes another hit, fueling questions about their use of DRS in this Ashes.
Control percentage (Carey, session) Showed a high proportion of shots played with control, underlining his calmness even amid controversy.

*Final figures to be confirmed via official scorecards from ESPNcricinfo or the Cricket Australia website.

Scoreboard and statistics display at a cricket ground
Numbers tell only part of the story, but Carey’s contribution looms large on the scoreboard.

Spirit of Cricket: Should Player Belief Matter?

Carey’s candor about thinking he edged the ball taps into an old cricketing debate: the tension between the “spirit of the game” and the professional obligation to let officials and technology decide.

Historically, some batters have “walked” when they knew they were out, even if the umpire gave them not out. In the DRS era, that practice has faded, replaced by a shared understanding: players compete hard, umpires officiate, and technology handles the marginal calls.

  • Carey respected the process by accepting the final verdict.
  • England are justified in feeling aggrieved given the match situation.
  • The game’s laws and protocols were followed: appeal, decision, review, outcome.

It’s a reminder that the spirit of cricket is rarely about a single moment; it’s about how teams and individuals conduct themselves over time. So far, both sides have kept the focus on performance rather than personal animosity, even amid high tension.


The Human Side: Carey’s Growth as Australia’s Wicketkeeper-Batter

Beyond the controversy, this innings reinforces Alex Carey’s growing stature as Australia’s go-to wicketkeeper-batter in Test cricket. Since taking over the gloves, he’s been judged not only on clean takes and stumpings, but also on his ability to absorb pressure and add meaningful runs down the order.

Cricketer celebrating reaching a milestone score
Carey’s innings underscores the modern keeper’s role as a genuine middle-order contributor.

Coming through this kind of pressure moment matters. Carey had to reset mentally after believing he was out, manage the noise from the crowd and the chatter from England’s slips, and still retain the clarity to play the right shots.

These are the innings that quietly define Test careers: gritty, situational, and shaped as much by temperament as by technique.


England’s Bowling Perspective: What Could They Have Done Differently?

For England’s attack, the non-dismissal is only part of the story. Once Carey survived, they still had overs to find a way through him and the lower order. The question now is whether they adjusted quickly enough.

  • Length: Could they have gone fuller to target the stumps and pads more aggressively?
  • Plans: Did they shift from a pure outside-edge line to body-line, short-ball, or wider angle plans quickly enough?
  • Variation: Were changes in pace, cross-seam deliveries, and cutters used effectively as the ball softened?
Fast bowler running in to bowl in a cricket match
England’s seamers toiled hard, but letting Carey off the hook could be a turning point in the Test.

Ashes cricket is ruthless. Missed chances rarely fade quietly; they tend to echo across sessions, sometimes across Tests. How England respond with the ball on day two will say plenty about their resilience and tactical flexibility.


What It Means for the Ashes: Momentum, Pressure, and Predictions

In isolation, one overturned decision is just a footnote. In an Ashes series finely balanced across five Tests, it can be a fault line. Carey’s reprieve has:

  • Given Australia a stronger platform for a potentially match-winning first-innings total.
  • Added mental strain to an England side already playing catch-up in the series.
  • Reinforced the narrative that Australia’s middle order and wicketkeeper are pivotal under home conditions.
Cricket stadium under lights with crowd watching an intense match
As the third Test unfolds, Carey’s survival on 72 may loom large in the story of the 2025–26 Ashes.

If Australia convert this start into a sizeable first-innings score, this DRS moment will be replayed and discussed for years, alongside other famous Ashes controversies. If England fight back with the bat and the match tightens, it may settle into the background noise of a thriller.

Looking ahead, several questions will shape the rest of the Test and the series:

  1. Can England’s top order respond with the bat to neutralize Carey’s impact?
  2. Will Australia’s bowlers capitalize on the scoreboard pressure Carey helped create?
  3. How will both teams adjust their use of DRS after such a high-profile call?

What’s certain is that Alex Carey’s honesty, the technology’s verdict, and the scoreboard’s cold numbers have combined to give this Ashes Test a gripping narrative thread. As play resumes, all eyes will be on whether that single moment on 72 becomes the sliding door that decided the match – and perhaps the series.


Further Reading and Official Resources

For fans wanting deeper statistical breakdowns, wagon wheels, and ball-by-ball commentary on the 2025–26 Ashes and Alex Carey’s innings, visit:

As new data and post-match analysis emerge, this decision – and Carey’s response to it – will remain a focal point for analysts, former players, and fans dissecting every ball of this Ashes epic.