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

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

The dynamic player had earlier battled for more than 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 34-year-old was struck on the head by a fast bowler and experienced bouts of cramp. He also needed a period off the field on the previous day after hitting his head on the turf while attempting a stop.

"He could be a bit tired 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 get through this point in the game."

Injury History Scrutiny

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

Eager to be in the heat of battle, Stokes' decision not to bowl on Friday was curious given it was England's final opportunity to stay in the Ashes series.

At trailing 2-0 and requiring a victory in Adelaide to keep their aspirations of winning back the Ashes alive, England had conceded a first-innings lead of 85 runs.

"All I know is he operates 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 innings and had faint chances at certain scorelines, only for the home team to accelerate 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," noted 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 limited his 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 reputation 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.

Facing Imminent Loss

England stand on the edge of another loss in Australia, once again probably facing defeat inside the initial three matches of the series.

If the tourists' loss is sealed on day four, it would mean the outcome of the Ashes has been determined in just ten 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 primary objective is to extend this match into a final day, England will also have to pull off the highest successful chase at the Adelaide Oval to keep the series alive.

"I remain convinced 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."

"Three games in, we've thrown some but absorbed many. It's about time, now we're with our backs to the wall, to throw some haymakers."