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England's captain Ben Stokes is said to be "worn out" but still "fit and ready" to bowl, per assistant coach Jeetan Patel, even though he abstained from bowling on the day three of a critical Ashes Test.

Stokes utilized a quintet of alternative bowlers as the Australian side progressed to 271-4 in their second innings, building a commanding lead of 356 runs at the Adelaide Oval.

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

A Grueling Innings

During his marathon 198-ball innings, the 34-year-old was hit on the helmet by Mitchell Starc and experienced muscle cramps. He also needed a period off the field on Friday after banging his head on the ground while attempting a stop.

"He could be a little fatigued and just require some time to himself right now," commented Patel.

"Based on my knowledge, he's quite ready to bowl. I think he's just pretty knackered and he's taken a lot out of himself to reach this point in the game."

Injury History Scrutiny

Given his chequered injury history – Stokes has not been fully available in any of England's previous four series – any indication the star all-rounder might be nursing an issue draws considerable scrutiny.

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

At trailing 2-0 and requiring a victory in Adelaide to keep their aspirations of winning back the Ashes alive, England had conceded 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 probably where he's at."

The tourists could have stayed within the contest by dismissing Australia for approximately 240 in their second knock and had faint chances at certain scorelines, only for the home team to accelerate away through Travis Head's not out 142.

Although England delivered 66 overs, Stokes chose not to bowl.

"He didn't bowl but that's perhaps a different discussion with him," said former New Zealand international Patel.

"I don't actually know. We all know he doesn't do anything at 80%. Maybe he thought he was a liability, so he didn't bowl."

Past Instances and Current Strain

The most recent occasion Stokes curtailed his own bowling was on the final day of the drawn fourth Test against India at Old Trafford in July.

He afterwards was absent for the fifth Test at The Oval with a shoulder problem.

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

On the Brink of Defeat

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

If the visitors' defeat is sealed on Saturday's fourth day, it would mean the destination of the Ashes has been determined in 10 days – the first and second Tests 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 prolong the game into a fifth day, England will also have to achieve the greatest run-chase at the Adelaide Oval to keep the series ongoing.

"I still believe there's an chance for us," stated Patel. "It will be difficult, we're going to need something extraordinary. I think it's about time we saw something special from us."

"After three matches, we've thrown some but absorbed many. It's time, now we're with our backs to the wall, to throw some haymakers."