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England's captain Ben Stokes is reportedly "worn out" but still "fit and ready" to bowl, per team coach Jeetan Patel, despite he did not bowl on the third day of a critical Ashes Test.

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

The versatile all-rounder had earlier battled for more than five hours at the wicket across two days to compile 83 runs in England's first innings.

A Demanding Knock

Throughout his extended 198-ball innings, the veteran cricketer was struck on the head by a fast bowler and suffered muscle cramps. He also needed a period off the field on Friday after hitting his head on the turf while attempting a stop.

"He could be a little fatigued and just need a bit of time to himself right now," stated Patel.

"Based on my knowledge, 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 match."

Past Fitness Concerns

Considering his complicated injury history – Stokes has not been fully available in any of England's previous four series – any indication the star all-rounder might be carrying a problem attracts considerable scrutiny.

Always keen to be in the thick of the action, Stokes' decision not to bowl on Friday was puzzling 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 conceded a first-innings deficit of 85 runs.

"My understanding is he goes 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 match by dismissing Australia for approximately 240 in their second knock and had slim hopes at certain scorelines, only for the home team to accelerate away through Travis Head's unbeaten 142.

Even though England delivered 66 overs, Stokes chose not to bowl.

"He didn't bowl but that's probably a separate conversation with him," noted ex-New Zealand player Patel.

"I don't actually know. We all know he never performs at 80%. Maybe he thought he was a risk, so he didn't bowl."

Past Instances and Current Strain

The most recent occasion Stokes limited his bowling was on the final day of the drawn 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 another loss in Australia, once again likely to be beaten inside the initial three matches of the series.

If the visitors' defeat is sealed on day four, it would mean the outcome of the Ashes has been decided in 10 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 first goal is to prolong the game into a fifth day, England will also have to pull off the greatest run-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 magical. I think it's high time we saw something special from us."

"Three games in, we've thrown some but taken a lot. It's about time, now we're with our backs to the wall, to fight back fiercely."