Carey follows in Marsh’s MCG footsteps with maiden ton

Having been moved by his team's tribute to Rod Marsh after last month's Adelaide Test, Alex Carey followed in his footsteps by becoming the first wicketkeeper to score a Test century at the MCG since the late gloveman almost 50 years ago. 

Carey celebrated a brisk maiden Test hundred in typically understated fashion, carving a wide ball through the off-side with only an ear-to-ear grin giving away the fact he had just reached the rare milestone.

Cameron Green, integral in allowing his lower-order teammate to get to triple-figures, showed even more elation, raising both arms as he ran from the other end before exchanging an embrace with his batting partner.

The 31-year-old, who took just 131 balls to bring up his century, was however visibly emotional after his achievement.

"As is Alex Carey's way, there was a real humility in the way that he celebrated that," his former Test coach Justin Langer told Channel Seven.

It marks the first hundred by an Australian Test keeper in nearly a decade. Brad Haddin, who scored 118 in Adelaide during the 2013-14 Ashes, had been the last.

No keeper, Australian or otherwise, had previously reached triple-figures in an MCG Test since Marsh's unbeaten 110 in the second innings of the 1977 Centenary Test, the first of his three international hundreds.

Carey had been among the Australian team members who paid a rousing tribute to Marsh after beating West Indies at Adelaide Oval at a memorial unveiled in the cricket legend's honour last month.

"It was very special," Carey told cricket.com.au's Unplayable Podcast of their homage to the man who introduced 'Underneath the Southern Cross' as the Australian men's team song.

"There's so much respect around the cricketing world for Rod Marsh and to have the memorial unveiled that Test match, to then win a Test match and be able to do that – it's something I'll never forget.

Only weeks later, Carey was busy making his own history.

The left-hander was called to the crease in dramatic fashion late on day two when Green had his finger broken by Anrich Nortje, surviving to stumps to be unbeaten on nine overnight.

He then watched from the other end this morning as Nortje knocked over Travis Head and David Warner (bowled first ball after returning from full body cramps the previous day) in successive deliveries.

When Australia lost their seventh wicket before Carey had reached fifty, he would ordinarily have been required to hit out to amass as many quick runs as possible before the rest of the tail folded.

However the courageous return of Green gave him the perfect platform, taking advantage of a tiring Proteas attack as he played a series of exquisite strokes through the off-side. 

Carey's ton comes in his 15th Test. By comparison, the three previous Australian men's team wicketkeeping century-makers – Haddin, Matthew Wade and Adam Gilchrist – took two, three and nine Tests respectively.

"It'll mean so much to him. But that calmness, I have got tingles all through my body," Langer said of Carey, whose ton comes after he fell seven runs short of the milestone in Karachi earlier this year.

"He is one of the really, really good people of Australian cricket and he should be immensely proud of that moment.

"The reason that you love seeing people like Alex Carey get rewarded, is because he works so hard as well. He is an incredibly fit athlete. That doesn't come on the shelf. You have to work hard for that. He works hard on his wicketkeeping.

"He works hard on his batting and being the consummate team man. You're just really happy for people like Alex Carey who achieve these milestones."