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England's captain Ben Stokes is reportedly "exhausted" but still "physically able" to bowl, per assistant coach Jeetan Patel, even though he did not bowl on the third day of a critical Ashes Test.

Stokes utilized a quintet of alternative bowlers as the Australian side moved to 271-4 in their follow-on, building a substantial advantage of 356 runs at the Adelaide Oval.

The dynamic player had previously spent over five hours at the crease across two days to score 83 runs in England's first innings.

A Demanding Knock

During his extended 198-ball innings, the veteran cricketer was struck on the head by Mitchell Starc and suffered muscle cramps. He also needed a period off the field on the previous day after hitting his head on the turf while attempting a stop.

"He could be a bit tired and just need a bit of time to himself right now," commented Patel.

"From what I understand, he's pretty fit to bowl. I think he's just really exhausted and he's taken a lot out of himself to get through this point in the game."

Past Fitness Concerns

Considering his chequered injury past – Stokes has not been fully available in any of England's last four series – any indication the Durham man might be carrying a problem attracts considerable scrutiny.

Eager to be in the thick of the action, Stokes' decision not to bowl on Friday was curious given it was England's final opportunity to remain alive in the Ashes series.

At 2-0 down and requiring a victory in Adelaide to keep their aspirations of winning back the Ashes alive, England had given up a first-innings lead of 85 runs.

"All I know is he operates at 100%," said Patel. "If he thinks he can't do it at 100%, I don't think he's going to do it. That's likely where he's at."

The tourists could have stayed within the contest by dismissing Australia for around 240 in their second innings and had slim hopes at 53-2 and 149-4, only for the home team to accelerate away through Travis Head's unbeaten 142.

Even though England bowled 66 overs, Stokes did not use himself.

"He abstained from bowling but that's probably a different discussion with him," said former New Zealand international Patel.

"I'm not entirely sure. We all know he never performs at 80%. Maybe he thought he was a risk, so he didn't bowl."

Precedent and Pressure

The most recent occasion Stokes limited his bowling was on the last day of the tied fourth Test against India at Old Trafford in July.

He subsequently missed the fifth Test at The Oval with a shoulder problem.

Stokes has a history of driving himself to its absolute limit, and it was suggested to Patel that the captain felt he might have risked injury if he pushed himself any further in Adelaide.

Facing Imminent Loss

England stand on the edge of yet another defeat in Australia, once again likely to be beaten inside the first three Tests of the series.

If the visitors' defeat is completed on day four, it would mean the destination of the Ashes has been determined in just ten days – the opening two matches were over in two and four days respectively.

Not since 1921, when Australia needed only eight days of play to win in England, has the victor of an Ashes series been decided this quickly.

A Formidable Challenge

If a primary objective is to extend this match into a final day, England will also have to pull off the highest successful chase at the Adelaide Oval to keep the series ongoing.

"I remain convinced there's an opportunity for us," said Patel. "It won't be easy, we're going to need something extraordinary. I think it's high time we witnessed something magical from us."

"Three games in, we've thrown some but absorbed many. It's about time, now we're backed into a corner, to throw some haymakers."