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

Stokes deployed a quintet of alternative bowlers as the Australian side progressed to 271-4 in their second innings, establishing 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 score 83 runs in England's first innings.

A Demanding Knock

During his marathon 198-ball innings, 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 ground while trying to field the ball.

"He might be a little fatigued 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 expended a great deal out of himself to get through this point in the game."

Injury History Scrutiny

Given his chequered injury history – Stokes has not been fully available in any of England's last four series – any indication the Durham man might be nursing an issue attracts significant attention.

Eager to be in the thick of the action, Stokes' absence from the attack on Friday was curious 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 hopes of regaining the urn intact, 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 remained in the contest by bowling out Australia for approximately 240 in their second innings and had faint chances at certain scorelines, only for the hosts to accelerate away through Travis Head's not out 142.

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

"He abstained from bowling 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 last time Stokes limited his 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 history of driving himself 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.

Facing Imminent Loss

England stand on the edge of yet another defeat 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 decided in just ten 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 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 pull off the greatest run-chase at the Adelaide Oval to keep the series ongoing.

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

"After three matches, we've thrown some but taken a lot. It's about time, now we're backed into a corner, to fight back fiercely."