Captain Stokes Feels 'Knackered' Yet Remains 'Fit to Bowl'

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

Stokes deployed five other bowlers as Australia moved to 271-4 in their follow-on, building a commanding lead of 356 runs at the venue.

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

A Demanding Knock

Throughout his marathon 198-ball innings, the 34-year-old was struck on the head by a fast bowler 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 bit tired and just need a bit of time to himself right now," commented Patel.

"From what I understand, he's quite ready to bowl. I think he's just really exhausted and he's taken a lot out of himself to reach this point in the game."

Past Fitness Concerns

Given his complicated injury history – 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 significant attention.

Always keen to be in the thick of the action, Stokes' decision not to bowl on Friday was puzzling given it was England's last chance 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 intact, England had conceded a first-innings lead of 85 runs.

"All I know 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 likely where he's at."

The visiting side could have remained in the contest by bowling out Australia for around 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.

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

"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 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 curtailed his own bowling was on the last day of the drawn fourth Test against India at Old Trafford in July.

He subsequently 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 suggested to Patel that the captain felt he might have risked injury if he exerted himself any further in Adelaide.

Facing Imminent Loss

England are on the verge of another loss in Australia, once again probably facing defeat inside the first three Tests of the series.

If the visitors' defeat is completed on Saturday's fourth day, it would mean the outcome of the Ashes has been decided in 10 days – the opening two matches were over in short periods respectively.

Not since 1921, when Australia needed only eight playing days to win in England, has the victor of an Ashes series been decided this quickly.

A Daunting Task Ahead

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 ongoing.

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

"After three matches, we've landed some blows but taken a lot. It's about time, now we're with our backs to the wall, to fight back fiercely."