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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 follow-on, establishing a substantial advantage of 356 runs at the Adelaide Oval.

The versatile all-rounder had earlier spent over five hours at the wicket over two days to compile 83 runs in England's first innings.

A Grueling Innings

Throughout his extended 198-ball stay, the 34-year-old was struck on the head by a fast bowler and experienced bouts of cramp. He also needed a period off the field on Friday after hitting his head on the ground 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 expended a great deal out of himself to reach this point in the match."

Past Fitness Concerns

Given his chequered injury past – Stokes has not been fully available in any of England's last four series – any suggestion the star all-rounder might be carrying a problem attracts considerable scrutiny.

Always keen to be in the thick of the action, Stokes' absence from the attack on Friday was puzzling given it was England's last chance to remain alive in the Ashes series.

At trailing 2-0 and needing to win in Adelaide to keep their aspirations of winning back the Ashes alive, England had conceded a first-innings deficit 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 visiting side could have remained in the contest by dismissing Australia for approximately 240 in their second knock and had slim hopes at certain scorelines, only for the home team to pull away through Travis Head's unbeaten 142.

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

"He abstained from bowling but that's perhaps a different discussion with him," noted ex-New Zealand player Patel.

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

Precedent and Pressure

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

He afterwards missed the fifth Test at The Oval with a shoulder injury.

Stokes has a reputation of pushing his body past breaking point, and it was put to Patel that the captain felt he might have risked injury if he pushed himself any further in Adelaide.

On the Brink of Defeat

England are on the verge of yet another defeat in Australia, once again likely to be beaten inside the initial three matches of the series.

If the tourists' loss is completed on day four, it would mean the outcome of the Ashes has been decided in just ten days – the opening two matches were over in short periods respectively.

Not since 1921, when Australia needed only eight days of play to win in England, has the winner of an Ashes series been determined so swiftly.

A Formidable Challenge

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

"I remain convinced there's an chance for us," said Patel. "It will be difficult, we're going to need something magical. I think it's high time we saw something special from us."

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