Captain Stokes Is 'Exhausted' Yet Remains 'Fit to Bowl'

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

Stokes deployed a quintet of alternative bowlers as the Australian side progressed to 271-4 in their second innings, building a substantial advantage of 356 runs at the Adelaide Oval.

The dynamic player had previously battled for more than five hours at the wicket across two days to compile 83 runs in England's first innings.

A Demanding Knock

During his marathon 198-ball stay, the 34-year-old was struck on the head by a fast bowler and suffered bouts of cramp. He also needed a period off the field on the previous day after banging his head on the turf while trying to field the ball.

"He might be a little fatigued and just need a bit of time to himself right now," stated Patel.

"From what I understand, he's quite ready 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 match."

Injury History Scrutiny

Considering his complicated injury past – Stokes has not played a full part in any of England's previous four series – any indication the star all-rounder might be carrying a problem attracts considerable scrutiny.

Always keen to be in the heat of battle, 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 needing to win in Adelaide to keep their hopes of winning back the Ashes intact, England had conceded a first-innings lead of 85 runs.

"My understanding 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 probably where he's at."

The tourists could have stayed within the contest by dismissing Australia for around 240 in their second knock and had faint chances at certain scorelines, only for the hosts to pull away through Travis Head's unbeaten 142.

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

"He didn't bowl but that's probably a different discussion with him," said former New Zealand international 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."

Past Instances and Current Strain

The most recent occasion 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 injury.

Stokes has a reputation of driving himself past breaking point, and it was put 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 likely to be beaten inside the first three Tests of the series.

If the tourists' loss is sealed on day four, it would mean the destination of the Ashes has been determined 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 victor of an Ashes series been decided this quickly.

A Daunting Task Ahead

If a primary objective 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 ongoing.

"I still believe there's an opportunity for us," stated Patel. "It won't be easy, we're going to need something extraordinary. I think it's about time we saw 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 throw some haymakers."