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

Stokes deployed five other bowlers as Australia moved to 271-4 in their second innings, building a substantial advantage of 356 runs at the venue.

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

A Demanding Knock

During his extended 198-ball stay, the veteran cricketer was hit on the helmet by Mitchell Starc and experienced muscle cramps. He also needed a period off the field on Friday after hitting his head on the turf while trying to field the ball.

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

"From what I understand, he's pretty fit to bowl. I think he's just pretty knackered and he's taken a lot out of himself to reach this point in the match."

Past Fitness Concerns

Given his chequered injury history – Stokes has not played a full part in any of England's previous four series – any indication the star all-rounder might be nursing an issue draws significant attention.

Eager to be in the thick of the action, Stokes' decision not to bowl on Friday was curious given it was England's last chance to stay in the Ashes series.

At 2-0 down and requiring a victory in Adelaide to keep their hopes of regaining the urn 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 probably where he's at."

The visiting side could have stayed within the contest by dismissing Australia for approximately 240 in their second knock and had slim hopes 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 didn't bowl but that's perhaps a different discussion with him," said ex-New Zealand player Patel.

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

Precedent and Pressure

The last time Stokes curtailed his own 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 past breaking point, 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 are on the verge 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 sealed on Saturday's fourth day, it would mean the outcome of the Ashes has been determined in 10 days – the opening two matches were over in two and four days respectively.

Not since 1921, when Australia needed only eight playing days to win in England, has the winner 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 alive.

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

"After three matches, we've landed some blows but absorbed many. It's about time, now we're backed into a corner, to fight back fiercely."