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

Stokes deployed five other 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 earlier spent over five hours at the crease over two days to compile 83 runs in England's initial batting effort.

A Demanding Knock

Throughout his marathon 198-ball innings, the 34-year-old was hit on the helmet by a fast bowler and suffered bouts of cramp. He also needed a period off the field on Friday after banging his head on the ground while trying to field the ball.

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

"Based on my knowledge, he's pretty fit to bowl. I think he's just pretty knackered 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 previous four series – any indication the Durham man might be nursing an issue attracts considerable scrutiny.

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

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

"All I know is he goes at 100%," remarked 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 visiting side could have stayed within the contest by bowling out Australia for around 240 in their second knock and had faint chances at certain scorelines, only for the hosts to accelerate away through Travis Head's unbeaten 142.

Although England bowled 66 overs, Stokes did not use himself.

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

"I'm not entirely sure. 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 limited his bowling was on the last 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 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.

On the Brink of Defeat

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

If the tourists' loss is completed on day four, 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 playing days to win in England, has the victor of an Ashes series been determined so swiftly.

A Daunting Task Ahead

If a primary objective is to extend this match into a final 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," 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."

"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."